The Milwaukee Bucks faced a tough night, falling 129-114 to the Phoenix Suns, marking their fourth loss in five games and concluding a challenging home stand. The game welcomed back Giannis Antetokounmpo after a brief absence and Taurean Prince, who returned after missing much of the season due to a neck injury. Devin Booker led the Suns with a strong 27-point performance, while Kyle Kuzma shone for the Bucks, scoring 33 points and reaching a significant career milestone of 10,000 points.
Game Recap
The Bucks started slowly, allowing the Suns to jump to a 9-2 lead. However, Milwaukee quickly rallied, tying the game at 9-9 as Giannis Antetokounmpo and Ousmane Dieng found their rhythm.
The first quarter saw a back-and-forth battle, with the Bucks briefly leading 19-14. The Suns took control in the "battle of the Greens," with Jalen Green scoring 14 points, while AJ Green struggled, ending the quarter scoreless and committing a costly foul on a made three-pointer.
The Suns led 36-30 after one.
The second quarter was a tug-of-war, as both teams exchanged runs. The Bucks went on a 9-0 run, fueled by three quick three-pointers, including two from Myles Turner and one from Ryan Rollins.
Devin Booker then caught fire, scoring 13 points late in the quarter, reaching a game-high of 20 by halftime. Kyle Kuzma also heated up, adding nine points in the final two minutes, including a buzzer-beating 28-footer, sending the Bucks into the break with a 65-62 lead.
In the third quarter, the Bucks came out strong, quickly extending their lead to 73-62. However, the Suns responded with a 15-4 run, tying the game at 77 midway through the quarter.
The rest of the period featured a shootout between Kyle Kuzma and Royce O’Neale. Kuzma added 16 points, bringing his total to 31, but O’Neale outperformed him with 18 points, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer.
The Suns entered the final quarter ahead 100-97.
The Suns started the fourth quarter aggressively, launching a 7-0 run to extend their lead to 10 points. They maintained this double-digit advantage throughout the final period, as the Bucks ran out of steam, despite a promising start to the night.