Bucks’ Crowder to be sidelined for two months

MILWAUKEE — Bucks forward Jae Crowder suffered a left adductor and abdominal tear that will sideline him for approximately two months, the team announced Monday.

Crowder left Saturday’s game against the Magic with what the team initially called a groin strain. He flew to Philadelphia to be further evaluated by Dr. Bill Meyers, who specializes in core injuries. Crowder is scheduled to undergo surgery Tuesday.

“Sports can be brutal at times,” Bucks coach Adrian Griffin said before Monday’s game against the Bulls. “[Crowder] came into training camp in phenomenal shape — mind, body and spirit — and he’s a tremendous piece of what we’re trying to do moving forward.”

Crowder, 33, had been one of Milwaukee’s most pleasant surprises through the first nine games of the season. He was averaging 8.1 points and 3.9 rebounds on 53% shooting (52% from 3) while logging the third-most minutes per game on the team behind stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

The Bucks acquired Crowder at the trade deadline this past February, but after sitting out the first half of the 2022-23 season he never found a rhythm in 18 games for the Bucks down the stretch. However, under Griffin, Crowder has transformed into one of the team’s key reserves, appearing in all nine games this year and making a pair of spot starts while forward Khris Middleton sat out the front end of back-to-backs.

“He’ll be back,” Griffin said of Crowder. “He’ll be back way before the playoffs to get his rhythm back.”