Bucks Zone

The Antetokounmpo-less Milwaukee Bucks take down the Phoenix Suns

The Bucks whip the Suns behind a hot three-point shooting.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Michael McLoone-USA TODAY Sports
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Giannis Antetokounmpo was out, but the Milwaukee Bucks shot the lights out to pull off a convincing 140-129 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

Firepower was not a problem even if the Bucks played without Giannis Antetokounmpo, who sat out due to hamstring soreness. It hardly mattered as Milwaukee shot an impressive 24-of-41 (58%) from three-point land to seal its fourth straight win at home.

Milwaukee avenged its 106-114 loss to Phoenix in their first meeting this season, scoring a second straight that triumph hiked its record to 44-24. The Bucks improved to 27-7 at home this season.

Decisive second-quarter run

The Bucks ended the first quarter with a slim 39-36 lead after the first quarter but broke the game wide open with a huge second-quarter explosion. Milwaukee scored a season-high 43 points in the second period to build a fat 82-60 lead. The first-half output was a season-high for the Bucks.

Milwaukee brought a 109-94 lead into the fourth period. Phoenix rallied within 115-122, but Milwaukee responded as a three-pointer by Damian Lillard gave the Bucks a 134-120 lead with only 3:18 left.

Too much firepower

Lillard and Bobby Portis Jr. were superb in the win, finishing with double-double performances. Lillard tallied 31 points and 16 assists, while Portis piled up 31 points and ten rebounds coming off the bench.

Khris Middleton also gave the Bucks a huge lift in his return from a 16-game absence, tallying 22 points, seven assists, and three boards in 25 minutes of play. All Milwaukee starters scored in double figures, with Jae Crowder, Malik Beasley, and Brook Lopez chipping in 18, 17, and 10 points, respectively.

Portis and Beasley each had five triples, while Lillard and Crowder had four apiece.

Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points, Grayson Allen added 25, and Devin Booker had 23. Kevin Durant scored just 11 points as he only attempted ten shots from the field and made four as the Suns fell to 39-29. 

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Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.