Khris Middleton shows highs and lows in Wizards debut

Today at 11:51 PM

The new-look Washington Wizards learned plenty about both their veterans and youngsters in their 104-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. Khris Middleton was at the centerpiece of those revelations in his first game with his new team.

The 33-year-old scored 12 points (4-10 FG, 1-4 3 PT) with five rebounds, two assists, and two steals across 25 minutes, but missed the last two shots in crunch time against his former squad. However, Wizards (9-46) coach Brian Keefe didn’t regret running the offense through Middleton to close out the contest.

“He’s been doing this a long time,” he said. “He’s done this at a high level, so we have trust in him to be able to execute. He’s a closer, has been for a very long time in this league, and we’re gonna take advantage of having him on our roster.”

Indeed, Middleton made his bones as a second option next to Giannis Antetokounmpo over the past few years, earning three All-Star selections and a championship ring in the process. The Texas A&M alum was blocked in the paint by Brook Lopez with 33 seconds left and missed the game-tying three with Kyle Kuzma’s hand in his face at the buzzer, but that won’t keep Washington from looking to him when it matters most.

Part of having veteran mentors leading the squad is having them showing the youngsters how to win. It didn’t work out in this case, but Middleton has earned the right to lead by example in the biggest moments. After all, the former Olympian owns the Bucks’ (31-24) franchise record for made threes.

Speaking of the youngsters, this was another good night for both Alex Sarr and Kyshawn George. Sarr out-dueled Antetokounmpo, scoring a career-high 22 points (8-19 FG, 4-10 3 PT) with seven rebounds, two steals, one assist, one block, and two turnovers across 26 minutes.

Meanwhile, the “Greek Freak” tallied 18 points (6-9 FG) with six boards, three assists, one steal, a rejection, and a game-high seven turnovers across 19 minutes. He also fouled out with 3:36 left in the game.

Additionally, George made up for his poor shooting night (four points, 1-11 FG) with a superb defensive and rebounding effort. The 21-year-old ended Antetokounmpo’s outing by blocking his layup, corralling the board, and drawing the superstar’s sixth and final foul.

ACCESS DENIED pic.twitter.com/9K0yK7gfq6

— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) February 22, 2025

George led the Wizards with nine rebounds and two blocks, while also tying for the team lead with five assists. He also added a steal across 34 minutes.

Although the wins haven’t come yet, the fact that Washington’s rookies are impacting all phases of the game against playoff teams is an exciting development for the rebuilding franchise.

Giannis Antetokounmpo compliments Wizards’ youngsters

It’s not easy to contain Antetokounmpo, as the two-time MVP averages 31.5 points on 61 percent shooting with 12.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game. Those numbers rank second, eighth, fifth, and 25th respectively, but the basketball titan was not the same player on Friday. It’s no surprise that he gushed over Washington’s young core post-game, as it was most responsible for his off night, via Monumental Sports Network’s Bijan Todd.

I asked Giannis about Wizards rookies (again). His answer provided some amazing advice (again).

Says it's tempting to want to "get yours" on a rebuilding team, but building good team-focused habits is key.

Says he's excited to see what the "very talented" group can become. pic.twitter.com/pQQOMdWQUH

— Bijan Todd (@bijan_todd) February 22, 2025

“[They’re] great. [They] play hard. They’re trying to figure out their spots right now, but you can see that they’re very, very talented,” Antetokounmpo said. “They just gotta keep on learning how to play the game. Creating good habits, because sometimes when you’re not on a very good team, you can develop some bad habits, or you can think about how you can get yours.”

“But if you keep playing the right way and play winning basketball…you’re gonna develop a great talent,” he continued. “They’re young, though, they’re very young. They have bright futures…so I’m excited to see them in the future.”

There’s no better habit than focusing on defense, rebounding, and passing when the shots aren’t falling. It’s a classic veteran move, and George is already learning how to do that at a high level despite having just one NCAA season and 48 NBA games under his belt. Imagine how far along the rookie will be by this time next season.

Ditto for Sarr, whose ability to balance rim protection with offense is promising, especially after shooting just 9-of-47 from the floor in Summer League. The No. 2 overall pick’s four threes on Friday tied Corey Kispert for the most on the team, and his last one shrunk the deficit to 100-96 with 2:39 left.

Next up is a road date with the Orlando Magic (28-30) on Sunday, who represent what the Wizards are trying to become. The team is led by 2024 All-Star Paolo Banchero, who it drafted No. 1 overall in 2022, as well as Franz Wagner (25.1 PPG) and Jalen Suggs (16.2 PPG). Orlando drafted Wagner No. 8 overall in ’21 and Suggs No. 5 the same year.

A good performance against the Magic by Washington’s youngsters would be a symbolic moment in the team’s rebuild. The Wizards aren’t close to where they want to be yet, but they’re getting a step closer with each quality outing.

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