The Phoenix Suns (29-21, 6th in Western Conference) return home after a seven-game road trip tonight to square off against the Milwaukee Bucks (33-17, 3rd in Eastern Conference) in the teams’ first meeting this season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!These two teams have not met since March 14, 2023 when Milwaukee came into Phoenix and won 116-104 to pick up their third straight win over the Suns. All in all, the Bucks have gone 3-1 against the Suns since defeating them in the 2021 NBA Finals.
The Suns last played Sunday afternoon in Washington against the Wizards and came out with a dominant 140-112 victory after controlling the game from start to finish. Bradley Beal led the way for the Suns in his return to D.C., posting a season-high 43 points.
The Bucks are now 1-3 in the Doc Rivers era after losing 123-108 to the Utah Jazz Sunday. Utah outscored Milwaukee 40-13 in the fourth quarter to get the win. Giannis Antetokounmpo had 33 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds in the loss.
The Bucks have a messy injury report with the statuses of Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez up in the air. The Suns remain healthy outside of Damion Lee.
Local Game Information
Start Time: 8:00 p.m. MST
Location: Footprint Center
TV Channel: 3TV/AZ Family
Radio:Â Arizona Sports 98.7 FM, La Mejor 106.5 FM
Stream:Â Suns Live (click for more info)
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 6, 2024
Betting Odds
Line: PHX -4.5
O/U:Â 243.5
Injury Report
Phoenix Suns: Bradley Beal (nasal fracture) AVAILABLE | Damion Lee (right meniscus surgery) OUT
Milwaukee Bucks:Â Giannis Antetokounmpo (right knee patella tendonitis) AVAILABLE | Andre Jackson (sprained right wrist) AVAILABLE | Damian Lillard (left ankle sprain) OUT | Brook Lopez (personal) OUT
Starters (Projected)
Phoenix Suns: Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Grayson Allen, Kevin Durant, Jusuf Nurkić
Milwaukee Bucks: Pat Connaughton, Malik Beasley, Khris Middleton, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Robin Lopez
Five Keys to Game for Suns
- Need to play good defense to get offense rolling
- Low turnovers
- Slowing down Giannis
- Spreading out the offense
- Defending 3-point line
Prediction
Suns 130 – Bucks 125
Both of these teams are third in the NBA with a 49.8% team field goal percentage, while the Bucks are second in scoring, so expect tonight to be a high-scoring contest. Milwaukee has greatly struggles on the defensive end as of late, while the Suns are finding their offense when they keep the turnovers low and key in on their defense. This will be key in a game tonight against star players and seeing how well the Suns can shut them down. The Bucks will be extra motivated to get a win due to their recent struggles, but the Suns will be glad to be home and should put on a show in front of their fans.
Last Meeting (March 14, 2024)
Team Matchup Notes
Here are some stats, notes and everything else to know about the Suns and Bucks before their first matchup of the season (via Suns):
Each team’s stats (via Suns):
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
