For how this season has gone, the Phoenix Suns have had their fair share of moments showing some resilience, the latest coming in Tuesday’s 133-123 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
Without Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain), Bradley Beal (left hamstring strain) and Royce O’Neale (illness), Phoenix found more than enough flow on offense to win this game.
But in another takeaway from this year and perhaps the biggest of them all, the Suns’ defense was poor all night, unable to string together enough stops to take control of the game. And they have not shown nearly enough complete resilience over the course of the full season to turn this thing around on that end to give themselves more of a chance.
Milwaukee shot a preposterous 68.9%, the highest field goal percentage in the regular season by any team since 1998, per Stathead. All five Bucks starters were in double figures, led by 37 points, five rebounds, 11 assists, three steals and a block from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Ryan Rollins added 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting and Brook Lopez provided 22 (10-for-13).
Phoenix was actually on the right side of the math to make it close. Nick Richards had nine of the Suns’ 15 offensive rebounds and turnovers were 20-14 Bucks, letting Phoenix attempt 18 more shots while also going +3 in points at the foul line.
Despite allowing the Bucks to score on seven of their first eight possessions and jump out to a 15-point lead later in the first quarter, Phoenix was only down three at halftime thanks to Milwaukee matching Phoenix in the turnover category, 12-11. The Suns were also efficient at 51% with 15 assists for 20 baskets. They doubled up their first quarter with 38 points in the second after entering it with just 19.
That offense returned for the Suns midway through the third quarter when they were suddenly down 18, missing shots while unable to generate enough stops. And the difference-maker was Phoenix’s defense was not working with a cushion of Milwaukee turnovers. Those popped up again, though, and the shots began not falling, so Phoenix clawed back to within seven at over seven minutes remaining.
It just came down to finding a few stops and the Suns were stuck looking the rest of the way. That is when the two teams combined to score on 10 straight possessions, a streak broken by a Antetokounmpo miss from 3 and then a Devin Booker layin kept it at 117-110 Bucks with 3:58 to go.
Phoenix stumbled upon a few to get down five two minutes later but Booker missed a pull-up 3 with a chance to cut it to two. Milwaukee scored before a Grayson Allen 3 got the Suns back within four at under 90 seconds remaining when the Bucks drilled their own 3 to seal it.
Booker led a strong team offensive performance with 39 points (14-for-32), 11 assists and five turnovers in 43 minutes. Phoenix was 18-of-45 (40%) from 3, with four each for Collin Gillespie (18 points) and Tyus Jones (16), while starter Grayson Allen knocked down six for 23 points.
Milwaukee was without Damian Lillard (blood clot) Bobby Portis (suspension) and A.J. Green (shoulder sprain).
Losses for both the Sacramento Kings (36-39) and Dallas Mavericks (37-39) on Monday extended the Suns (35-41) their latest lifeline to still make the postseason. That won’t matter if they don’t win games. The three-game road trip goes to Boston on Friday (*gulp*) before ending in New York on Sunday. Assuming Dallas and Sacramento can take care of business against inferior opponents the rest of the week, the Suns will need to win one of those to realistically stay in it.
