The Milwaukee Bucks lost 129-114 to the Phoenix Suns to drop their fourth of the last five games, ending a disappointing home stand. The game saw the return of Giannis Antetokounmpo after a one-game absence and Taurean Prince after he had missed most of the season with a neck injury. Devin Booker led the Suns with 27 points, while Kyle Kuzma paced the Bucks with 33 points and a big milestone, passing 10,000 career points.
Game Recap
The Bucks limped out of the locker room once again, surrendering
easy buckets amid a 9-2 start for the Suns. The home team quickly found its offense, though, climbing back to tie it up 9-9 as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ousmane Dieng found their scoring groove. It was largely back and forth for the rest of the frame, with a brief Bucks’ lead peaking at 19-14. The Suns decisively won the battle of the Greens: Jalen Green finished with 14 points, while AJ Green was scoreless and committed a foul on a made 3-pointer to close the first and help the visitors pad their lead. After one, it was Suns 36, Bucks 30.
Quarter two continued in an even-steven manner, with runs by both teams that largely canceled each other out. The Bucks went on a 9-0 mid-quarter run off three quick three-pointers, two by Myles Turner that bookended one by Ryan Rollins. The visitors were helped by a reawakened Devin Booker, who found his groove late in the quarter for 13 points to send him to the locker room with a game-high of 20. Kyle Kuzma also got cooking late in the quarter, pouring in nine points in the final two minutes, including a 28-footer at the buzzer to send the Bucks hootin’ and hollerin’ into the break. Halftime: Bucks 65, Suns 62.
The Bucks were the aggressors coming out of the half for a change, jumping to a 73-62 advantage. But prosperity just can’t last for this squad. The Suns roared back, with a 15-4 midquarter run clawing them back to even, 77 all, at the 7:38 mark. The remainder of the quarter was the battle between two unlikely gunslingers. Kyle Kuzma ended the frame with 16 points to push him to 31 for the game. Royce O’Neale managed to outduel him, finishing the frame with 18 points, including a buzzer-beating three-point make. Phoenix was ahead 100-97 entering the final period.
Phoenix came out feisty to start the fourth, starting with a 7-0 run to push their lead to 10. They held onto a double-digit lead throughout the final frame, as the Bucks seemed to run out of gas on what started as a promising night for the beleaguered squad.
Stat That Stood Out
17. That’s the Bucks’ turnover total. Those gifts resulted in 22 points for the visitors.
