Even earlier than the Khris Middleton damage, the first-round matchup
between the Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks was hindered by an
damage. The defending champion Bucks have been favored towards the Bulls
no less than partially attributable to an damage to Chicago’s start line
guard, Lonzo Ball.
The Bulls are pretty reliant on Ball. They began the season
27-13 however received solely 19 of their remaining 42 video games after dropping Ball to
a knee damage. Figuring out this, it was suprise that issues appeared
comparatively bleak for the Bulls on this first-round matchup.
However an damage to Middleton appeared to degree the taking part in subject.
MCL accidents sometimes ends in gamers lacking between a couple of
days and eight weeks, which means that Middleton is out for the at
least the rest of the sequence towards Chicago.
Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Khris Middleton has
an MCL sprain in his left knee and shall be re-evaluated in two
weeks, sources inform ESPN. Bucks should play with out Middleton
for the remainder of this first-round sequence towards Chicago.
With Middleton out for the rapid future, Milwaukee should
safe no less than two wins of their subsequent 4 video games towards Chicago.
After a 30-point victory in recreation three, doing so not appears
like too tall a activity.
Nonetheless, successful video games with out certainly one of your greatest gamers is rarely
simple, and the Bucks clearly have higher aspirations than merely
advancing to the Japanese Convention Semifinals. A second-round
matchup towards (presumably) the Boston Celtics and their stifling
protection could be an actual take a look at, with or with out Middelton.
However earlier than we stay up for future matchups, Milwaukee should
determine easy methods to get previous Chicago. How can the Bucks make up for
Middleton’s absense? It begins with their MVP.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
After all, the strain on Antetokounmpo shall be higher.
Antetokounmpo is an MVP-caliber participant within the prime of his profession.
The 27-year-old was nice within the Bucks’ recreation three win, posting a
plus-36 whereas scoring 18 factors on 7-for-12 taking pictures.
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However in Recreation 4 and past, the load will get heavier.
Antetokounmpo could even should persistently channel his Recreation 6 gem
from laslt 12 months’s NBA Finals, wherein he scored 50 factors and
grabbed 14 rebounds.
However trendy NBA defenses are nice at succeeding towards a staff
with just one dominant participant, particularly one as hindered
from past the arc as Antetokounmpo. So, even when the Greek Freak
performs just like the unstoppable champion he proved himself to be a 12 months
in the past, the Bucks will want considerably extra from numerous their
position gamers, starting with Jrue Vacation.
Jrue Vacation
With Middleton out, Vacation is the plain candidate to step up.
In Recreation 3, Vacation, scored 16 factors and dished out 6 assists.
Surprisingly, that stat line is a step again from his 2021-22
common season averages of 18.3 factors and 6.8 assists per
recreation.
Discounting the 82nd recreation of the season (wherein
Vacation performed solely eight minutes), Vacation performed in 11 video games
with out Middleton in 2021-22. In these 11 video games, Vacation averaged
roughly 20 factors and seven.5 assists.
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However which may not be sufficient. The factor is, Vacation can do
higher if he shoots nearer to his 2021-22 common on
three-pointers. Vacation shot a shade over 41% on three-point
makes an attempt for the season, however he linked on solely 29% of this
three-point makes an attempt in video games with out Middleton. Actually, if
Vacation can merely join on the identical share of threes with out
Middleton as he did all through the common season, his scoring
common will increase to just about 22 factors per recreation.
However the Bucks have been solely 6-5 in video games that Vacation performed with out
Middleton. Milwaukee might want to get extra from others, too.
This defensive possession was simply
ridiculous from Jrue Vacation final evening.
The best way wherein he fought over is just about precisely how he
defined to do it once we chatted about protection: https://t.co/GkfSpMlwLI
In Middleton’s absence in Recreation 3, Portis chipped in 18 factors
and grabbed 16 rebounds. Coming into the sequence, he was already
having a profession 12 months, posting career-bests in factors and rebounds
per recreation (14.6 factors and 9.1 rebounds), however the Bucks shall be effectively
off if he can contribute like he did on Friday.
Portis’ manufacturing is about greater than his totals. His effectivity
additionally returned. Portis was taking pictures poorly previous to Friday’s recreation,
connecting on solely three of his 10 makes an attempt via the primary two
video games, which clearly received’t get it performed for the Bucks.
Fortunately, Portis’ shot returned in Recreation 3. He linked on
seven of his 14 subject aim makes an attempt, together with 4-of-8 from
three-point vary. In complete, Portis tallied a +20 for the evening. If
he can proceed that form of manufacturing, the Bucks shall be in
pretty fine condition.
Grayson Allen
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Friday’s consequence was about extra than simply Antetokounmpo, Vacation
and Portis. Allen additionally did his half, scoring 22 factors on
eight-for-12 taking pictures with out Middleton.
Like Portis, Allen’s impression was restricted in Recreation 1 and Recreation 2,
but when the previous Dukie can proceed his sizzling taking pictures, it ought to
finish positively for Milwaukee. All through the common season, the
Bucks have been 5-1 when Allen linked on 66% or extra of his subject
aim makes an attempt, as he did on Friday.
Pat Connaughton
There’s one different position participant from whom the Bucks ought to hope to
get common contributions for the remaining playoffs: Pat
Connaughton. The Bucks are 12-0 within the common season when
Connaughton scores 16 or extra factors, together with wins towards
Brooklyn, Miami, San Antonio and Los Angeles (Clippers and
Lakers).
If Milwaukee can get Middleton again for the second spherical, they
are as doubtless a staff to win the 2022 NBA Championship as anybody.
But when Middleton would not return fairly that quickly, the Bucks will
want much more from their position gamers.
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No matter Middleton returning for the second spherical, the
Bucks have work to do towards Chicago, which is able to get more and more
harder with out Middleton. If the Bucks’ position gamers
proceed to carry out like they did in Recreation 3, all must be effectively in
Milwaukee.
MILWAUKEE – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has proposed to open an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facility in Milwaukee, an alderwoman announced Tuesday, Jan. 14.
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Ald. Larresa Taylor, who represents Milwaukee’s 9th District, said DHS requested modifications to a building located at 11925 W. Lake Park Dr. Those modifications include adding a sally port and a chain link fence with privacy slats. A sally port would be used to transport prisoners to and from the facility.
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“I want District 9, and the rest of the city, to know that we do not support the Department of Homeland Security in their decision to move into our district, and we definitely do not support any such modifications to any building in our district (as a location to house prisoners!),” Taylor said in a statement.
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What’s next:
Taylor scheduled a news conference at 1 p.m. Wednesday outside the building. She invited all organizations that will be impacted to join her, noting “Milwaukee’s 9th Aldermanic District will no longer be Wisconsin’s dumping ground for detention facilities.”
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The Source: Ald. Larresa Taylor provided information.
In the Milwaukee County Safety Building at 821 W. State St., Kent Lovern discusses his past, present and future as a prosecutor within the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office. (Photo by Devin Blake)
District Attorney-elect Kent Lovern has made it a priority to listen to residents on the North and South sides of Milwaukee.
“What I have heard loudly and clearly is everyone wants to feel safe, and everyone wants that safety in their daily lives, and they want that for their children,” Lovern said.
At a ceremony on Thursday, Jan. 16, Lovern will be publicly recognized in his new role. With nearly 30 years of experience as a prosecutor, he’s recognized for his collaborative approach to systemic issues.
Lovern focuses on collaborations outside his office, in part, because he believes these collaborations are necessary to sustainably reduce violence and increase public safety in Milwaukee.
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“I just feel like we need to better connect into one another and develop our own system of public safety – one that is really framed up as community development, economic development, educational development and the public safety comes with that,” he said.
Among Milwaukee’s large network of criminal justice advocates, many say they feel heard by Lovern.
“Kent has always been thoughtful and responsive to me,” said Emilio De Torre, executive director of Milwaukee Turners, which advocates for various criminal justice initiatives as well as those impacted by the criminal justice system.
Working together
“We can’t unring the bell of a crime, right? If somebody commits a crime, like myself, they need to be prosecuted,” said Adam Procell, who coordinates the monthly resource fair Home to Stay, for formerly incarcerated individuals reentering society. “But after that time period, when somebody gets out, he (Lovern) also understands that if we don’t provide the person with an opportunity to lead an optimal lifestyle, they’re going to have to prosecute them again for another crime.”
For Lovern, people reentering have a unique ability to lead others away from crime.
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“People returning back to communities, looking to be proactive members of their community, looking for ways to help mentor young people and help instruct young people about the pitfalls and the mistakes they made – that’s a very powerful group,” he said.
Milwaukee County has the largest population of people on parole, probation or extended supervision in the state. At the end of October, nearly 13,000 people were under supervision, state correctional data show.
“On the whole, I have heard more interest in reentry across the board … than I have heard at any time in my career,” Lovern said.
Causes of crime
Lovern’s support of reentry is consistent with an overall preventive approach to crime.
He cites the relationship between drug addiction and crime as a good example.
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“We’ve had a strong approach to this for some time, because right after John (Chisholm) was elected, 18 years ago, we created an early intervention unit, and that was immediately designed to offer opportunities for people to work through a criminal charge…and we’ve seen a lot of success with that.”
WISDOM, a statewide faith-based organization, wants Lovern to expand on this philosophy.
“There’s a lot of room for certainly expanding treatment alternatives to incarceration for people living with mental illness and with addiction issues, and there are many opportunities to divert more people from the system. I’m definitely optimistic that those types of programs will continue and will expand,” said Mark Rice, coordinator of WISDOM’s Wisconsin Transformational Justice Campaign.
Lovern is proud of Milwaukee’s mental health courts, which address cases involving mental health concerns, including assessments of competence and insanity pleas.
An intermediate goal the DA’s office is close to achieving, he said, is increasing the number of cases handled in these courts to 30 cases on an ongoing basis, compared to 10 cases previously.
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“Somebody might come first through the police department or to the DA ‘s office, and we may be saying, ‘Look, this person isn’t really committing criminal behavior – the bigger concern here is the mental health piece,’” said Lovern.
Current crime and safety risks
Recent data from the Milwaukee Police Department show notable declines since 2023 in violent crimes, especially homicides and non-fatal shootings, and a reduction in most property crimes.
But certain violent crimes have increased since 2022, including robberies and carjackings.
“There’s no question that there is additional work that needs to be done to drive down the level of violent crime we see in this community,” Lovern said.
The problem, he added, is not evenly spread throughout the city.
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A quarter of Milwaukee County homicides since 2023 occurred in only two ZIP codes.
“Everyone’s concerned about crime everywhere, but we know where the concentrations of violent crime exist,” said Lovern, adding that many residents in these neighborhoods tell him that we need “a strong response” to crime and that these “neighborhoods need to be valued.”
Limits of the office
Rice, of WISDOM, does not want fairness and justice to be lost, however.
“We still in Wisconsin incarcerate Black people at one of the highest rates in the nation,” he said. “There’s a lot of discretion up front when plea bargains are reached in terms of who gets diverted from the system and who goes in.”
Rice and others also worry about the systemic limitations of the DA’s office to address such problems.
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“Jobs like the DA’s office, mayor’s office, police chief tend to be very difficult, with unforeseen pressures and inherent flaws in how they’ve been systemized over the years,” said De Torre, of Milwaukee Turners. “The real test is how a person acts and what they do within a flawed system.”
Bucks react to blowout loss to Knicks at Madison Square Garden
Milwaukee Bucks stars Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton react to blowout loss to Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Jan. 12.
The Milwaukee Bucks try to bounce back tonight vs. the Sacramento Kings following a disappointing 34-point loss to New York on Sunday.
The Bucks (20-17) have won three of four and are in a dogfight in the middle of the Eastern Conference as they begin the day two games behind the Knicks in the loss column for the No. 3 seed but are behind Orlando (23-18) and Indiana (22-18) in the playoff standings.
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The Magic, led by Milwaukee native and head coach Jamahl Mosley, are in town tomorrow night.
Sacramento fired head coach Mike Brown on Dec. 27 when they were 13-18 and under interim head coach Doug Christie the Kings have seven in a row and are 20-19 overall.
Is Giannis playing?
He is probable to play vs. the Kings. He has been managing pain in his right knee since training camp but has yet to miss a game with the issue.
Khris Middleton ruled out of Kings game
First, Khris Middleton was pushed back to the bench and now the team is taking him out of back-to-back situations. Middleton played 12 straight games from Dec. 6-Jan. 4, including a back-to-back set on Dec. 20-21.
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But on Jan. 8 he was moved to the bench because of his continued minute restriction and issues surrounding his complete return from offseason ankle surgeries.
And he was immediately ruled out of Tuesday night’s game against the Kings on Monday, presumably to make sure he’s ready to play in a more important Eastern Conference game against Orlando on Wednesday night.
In a Bucks win over the Magic on Jan. 10 in Florida, Middleton scored 11 points and had four assists in just under 23 minutes of play.
Second-year Bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr. is hosting a coat drive outside Fiserv Forum prior to home games on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. New and gently used coats, hats, gloves and scarves will be accepted and donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and the Greater Amsterdam School District. Cash donations are accepted online here: Andre Jackson Coats | Powered By GiveSmart
The 23-year-old guard is from Amsterdam, New York, and played collegiately at the University of Connecticut.
What channel is the Bucks game on?
The game will tip off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast local on FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin with Lisa Byington, Marques Johnson and Melanie Ricks on the call.
Bucks injury report
Khris Middleton, out (bilateral ankle surgery injury management)
Gary Trent Jr., questionable (left hip flexor strain)
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