Middleton on precipice of NBA history due to 3-point shooting

Published Apr. 26, 2018 5:03 p.m. ET

This year's NBA playoffs have been something of a coming-out-party for Khris Middleton.

The Milwaukee Bucks forward had a good regular season -- posting a career-high 20.1 points per game -- but's upped his production in the postseason.

In the first five games of Milwaukee's opening-round series against Boston, Middleton is averaging 25.0 points per game on 57.0 percent shooting. Even more impressive is that he's better from 3-point range (60.0 percent) than 2 (55.4 percent).

That 3-point percentage is nothing to sneeze at. In fact, it's one of the best in NBA playoff history. Only San Antonio's Stephen Jackson (60.5 percent) in 2011-12 and the Lakers' Derek Fisher (61.7 percent) in 2002-03 have shot better from 3 in the postseason (minimum 30 attempts). No one else has made 60 percent of their 3 attempts, with Utah's Jeff Hornacek (58.6 percent in 1995-96) and the Knicks' Derek Harper (57.4 percent) next on the list.

Middleton has made at least half of his 3-point attempts in each game of the series. He also has at least three makes in each. Do it one more time and he could make history.

Middleton has at least 20 points and three 3s in all five games -- which is tied for the longest such streak to begin a postseason with Ray Allen (Seattle, 2004-05), Stephen Curry (Golden State, 2014-15) and Kyrie Irving (Cleveland, 2015-16).

Other notes:

-- Since 1988-89, only four players have averaged 25+ points and shot 60 percent of better from the field in a single postseason (min. 3 games): Charles Barkley, David Robinson, Shaquille O'Neal (twice) and Dwight Howard. Giannis Antetokounmpo enters Thursday's Game 6 averaging 25.4 points and shooting 60.5 percent from the field.

-- Milwaukee is averaging 8.4 blocks and 7.2 steals per game. Since 2003-04, only four teams have averaged 7+ blocks and 7+ steals in the playoffs.

Statistics courtesy STATS and basketball-reference