Bucks find ways to overcome Parker's absence

BOSTON - It was a moment that rocked the Milwaukee Bucks’ world.

Jabari Parker went down to the floor after his left knee buckled, and the Bucks’ worst fears were realized.

The team’s dream trio of Parker, Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo would not play together during the 2016-’17 season.

Middleton came back to the lineup the same night Parker was injured – on Feb. 8 against Miami – but the three players were never on the court at the same time.

The Bucks, no sure bet to be a playoff team, could have headed in the wrong direction.

Instead, they have gone 17-7 since that fateful night and put themselves in solid position to make the Eastern Conference playoffs with just seven games left in the regular season.

The Bucks’ 103-100 victory over the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on Wednesday night signaled they will not be an easy out in the first round of the playoffs.

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“You’re replacing 20 points a night, and we had to do it by committee,” veteran Bucks guard Jason Terry said of Parker’s absence. “Everyone has not only expanded their roles but really took it to heart.

“We’d love to have him (Parker) back, but guys have done an outstanding job. Especially Giannis. He’s taken a lot on his shoulders, offensively, as far as being the focal point.

“But mixing it up, being able to facilitate and trust his teammates and play off other guys, too. That’s what has taken his game to another level.”

Antetokounmpo’s trust in his teammates was evident at the end of Wednesday’s game. The Bucks kept the ball in rookie Malcolm Brogdon’s hands and he delivered in the clutch.

Brogdon hit a 16-footer while being hounded by Boston guard Avery Bradley, a shot that carried Milwaukee past the Celtics and knocked them out of the top-seeded position in the East. Antetokounmpo had his usual impact with 22 points, nine rebounds, three steals, three assists and three blocks.

The Bucks now have a chance to end March with a 14-4 record if they can defeat the Detroit Pistons at home Friday night.

“I think Coach (Jason) Kidd has done a terrific job of being patient while we’ve been in our lows, while we weren’t having good stretches,” Brogdon said. “He has coached us really well to get to this point and I think he deserves credit.”

Middleton’s return from a hamstring injury has helped stabilize the defense and his decision-making has proved a calming influence on the offense. The Bucks are playing at a slower pace but more efficiently.

Middleton had 19 points, six rebounds and five assists in 34 minutes against the Celtics. On a night when the Bucks struggled behind the three-point line, he was 3 for 3 from distance.

“When Jabari goes down, we were in flux with another player and that was getting Khris back into the fold,” Kidd said. “You’re talking about an all-star player.

“We were on minutes restrictions with him (Middleton), then we lose Jabari the same day. There might have been a little confusion of where we were going, but in that locker room no one gave up.

“We stuck together and I thought we became closer. That locker room never once let go of the rope. They kept fighting and they found their way back in the playoff race.”

The Bucks lacked locker-room leaders last season, but a year later they have Terry to say the right things and reassure the younger players. Greg Monroe also has become more comfortable as a leader in his second year with the franchise.

“Continuity is big,” Kidd said. “Moose (Monroe) feeling comfortable to talk; Khris becoming a leader, Giannis growing into a leader.”

Antetokounmpo said he didn’t feel a need to panic when Parker went down or to assume the entire scoring burden.

“Everybody stepped up their game,” Antetokounmpo said. “If someone goes down, you’ve just got to trust one another.

“Khris is Khris. He’s making the game easier for everybody. He’s got his quickness back and he’s creating his own shot now. He’s just leading and we’re following.”

Antetokounmpo, Middleton and Parker may yet play together, but it will not be until some point next season. The Bucks have established a 12-month recovery period for Parker after the second anterior cruciate ligament tear in his left knee.

The Bucks will have to wait for that day while focusing on a promising present. They want to secure a playoff berth and try to nail down the fifth-seeded position – they are in a tight race with Atlanta, Miami, Indiana and Chicago.

Milwaukee is currently sixth but has the same record as the Hawks (39-36), who are in fifth on the basis of a season-series tiebreaker.

“I think it’s even less weight,” Antetokounmpo said of his burden. “Because guys know, ‘Oh, now he needs more help.’

“Everybody is stepping up.”