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Jae Crowder has been cleared to return to action for the Milwaukee Bucks' upcoming game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. The player underwent surgery in November for an abdominal tear and left adductor tear. With the Bucks eager to overtake the Celtics for first place in the East, his return can't be understated.
Shams Charania of The Athletic broke the news, indicating that the doctors have given the 3&D specialist the all-clear to return to action. With the Milwaukee Bucks (28-12) just three games behind the Boston Celtics in first place, Crowder's return couldn't come at a better time.
With the trade deadline rapidly approaching on Feb. 8, teams will look to make big pushes in the second half of the season, heading into the All-Star break. The Milwaukee Bucks, of course, are no exception.
After reports of Crowder being cleared to play began to surface, fans quickly reacted to the news on social media. Check out some of the best reactions from the NBA community down below.
Jae Crowder's impact on the Bucks prior to his injury
This season, Jae Crowder has played in just nine games for the Milwaukee Bucks before going down with a pair of core-body injuries in November. At the time, he was one of the most-utilized players on coach Adrian Griffin's team, averaging 26.7 minutes per game.
He was averaging 8.1ppg, 3.9rpg and 1.7apg. Arguably the most impressive aspect of his game was his combination of defensive impact, and his efficiency. Through the first nine games of the season Crowder averaged a career-high 53.2% from the field, and 51.6% from downtown.
Considering he's in year 12, the fact that he was averaging career-highs from the floor and from downtown, his return will help more than the team's defense.
As of Jan. 16, the Bucks sit in second place in the league for offensive efficiency rating, while on the defensive end, they have fallen to 19th. Although they have gone 6-4 in their last ten, the Boston Celtics have looked incredibly dominant on both ends of the floor.
Looking ahead at the Bucks' schedule for the next week, the team will play the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, where Crowder is expected to return. The team will then have Thursday and Friday off, before playing the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, Jan. 20, and Monday, Jan. 22.
The rest of the week will then see the Bucks collide with the Cleveland Cavaliers two more times, once on Wednesday, Jan. 24, and again on Friday, Jan 26th.
Guess the Bulls players in this quiz and it's not going to be easy!
