March 8, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) and Phoenix Suns guard Colin Gillespie (12) react against the Charlotte Hornets in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images The Phoenix Suns begin a crucial six-game East road trip Tuesday night when they take on the Bucks in Milwaukee.
Phoenix has won its second straight game after the Suns disposed of the red-hot Charlotte Hornets 111-99 on Sunday and suffered a two-point loss to the Chicago Bulls, missing their fifth straight win.
Devin Booker led Phoenix with 30 points and 10 assists against Charlotte. Collin Gillespie and Jalen Green each added 24 points and Rasheer Fleming had 16 points off the bench.
Defensively, the Suns challenged this Hornets offense, holding Charlotte to 33% shooting from deep and forcing 11 turnovers.
“That’s who we need to be. That’s how we have had success on the defensive end – pushing our physicality to its legal limit and then having an overall intent on every possession,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “That offense is really good. We challenged ourselves tonight.”
Booker averages 24.9 points and 6.1 assists per game, leading the Suns to more wins this campaign than last season.
“Day one begins. Obviously a lot has changed since then. We bring a new energy,” Booker said. “We work together and keep the important things the most important. Everyone is on the same page and it’s fun to be a part of it together.”
Milwaukee is looking to end a long run at home, and it was a disappointing result. The Bucks lost 130-91 to the Orlando Magic on Sunday for their fifth loss in their last six games. All lost by 18 points or more.
This time, the Bucks were lacking as they were missing Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf), Kyle Kuzma (back), and Kevin Porter Jr. (knee). Without these key players, the Bucks’ offense was unable to generate any rhythm or consistency.
“A lot of those were turnovers and bad shots. I didn’t think they lived up to their stamina overall tonight,” Milwaukee coach Doc Rivers said. “We didn’t do our job. It’s one thing to get injured, but it’s another thing to injure everyone who facilitates the attack.”
Bobby Portis and Cam Thomas came off the bench to lead Milwaukee with 18 and 17 points, respectively. Only 34 of Milwaukee’s points came from its starting five.
Myles Turner, who is part of the starting five, has been showing poor performance recently, scoring less than 8 points in 5 consecutive games and 4 or fewer rebounds in 4 consecutive games. In his first full season after signing with the Bucks, he averaged just 12.2 points and 5.4 boards per game.
Antetokounmpo and Kuzma are every day and will likely play on Tuesday, but questions still remain about whether the Bucks will shut down Antetokounmpo with the team’s play-in opportunities dwindling. Porter Jr. is listed as out.
Phoenix is without several key players, including second-leading scorer Dylan Brooks (broken hand) and 7-foot-1 center Mark Williams (foot). Jordan Goodwin (calf) and Grayson Allen (knee) are both listed as day-to-day.
This is the first meeting between the two teams this season, with one more meeting scheduled for Phoenix. The two-game season series was split over the last two campaigns, with each team winning on their home turf.
–Field level media
