Khris Middleton made his first five shots to help the Milwaukee Bucks jump out to a quick start against Washington on Saturday night, ending the first quarter with 14 points (the most in a single quarter for him). But Milwaukee also needed Middleton's best down the stretch, and he came through time and again to help cap a much-needed 91-85 victory over the Wizards.
Milwaukee was outscored 24-14 in the third quarter and allowed the Wizards to cut down a once 17-point lead and tie the game, but Middleton responded. With the game tied at 84 with roughly a minute to go, Middleton popped a corner three after a crucial second-chance rebound from big man Zaza Pachulia. The shot put Middleton at a career-high 30 points and gave the Bucks a three-point lead with 40.8 remaining. Washington couldn't respond on the other end after a missed jumper from Paul Pierce, and Jerryd Bayless didn't miss from the charity stripe to close out the game.