Field Level Media
Mar 4, 2019
Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded 27 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots, and Devin Booker scored 22 points as the lowly Phoenix Suns pulled off a stunning 114-105 victory over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Monday night.
Deandre Ayton registered 19 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots, and Josh Jackson scored 16 for Phoenix (14-51). The Suns have won three of four since enduring a franchise-worst, 17-game losing streak.
Tyler Johnson had 13 points and four steals and also knocked down the tiebreaking basket for the Suns, who outscored Milwaukee 38-23 in the fourth quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points, 13 rebounds, six assists and three steals for the NBA-best Bucks (48-16). Milwaukee has lost two straight after winning 19 of the previous 21 games.
Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points, Eric Bledsoe added 15, Nikola Mirotic had 13, Ersan Ilyasova tallied 11 and Brook Lopez and Tony Snell added 10 apiece for Milwaukee.
Recently signed Pau Gasol played five scoreless minutes in his Bucks debut.
Johnson's basket with 1:06 left gave Phoenix a 105-103 lead. Ayton scored on a layup with 35.8 seconds remaining to make it a four-point margin.
Mikal Bridges sank two free throws with 24.1 seconds left to increase the lead to 109-103, and Milwaukee was unable to get closer to four the rest of the way.
Phoenix shot 45.1 percent from the field and hit 7 of 22 attempts from 3-point range.
The Bucks shot just 36.8 percent from the field and were 12 of 42 from behind the arc. Milwaukee All-Star Khris Middleton sank only 1 of 13 shots while scoring six points.
The Bucks led 91-81 after Bledsoe split two free throws with 8:52 left.
Phoenix made a charge and later used a 9-0 run to take the lead.
Ayton converted a three-point play, Bridges knocked down a 16-footer, and Oubre split two free throws with 4:03 left to pull the Suns within one. Booker concluded the spurt with a 3-pointer to give Phoenix a 100-98 advantage with 2:37 left.
Antetokounmpo's dunk 16 seconds later tied the score. Oubre drained a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 103-100 lead with two minutes left before Brogdon hit a tying 3-pointer with 1:21 left.
Milwaukee held a 40-24 lead after Lopez drained a 3-pointer with 8:32 remaining in the first half.
The Bucks still led by 12 after Antetokounmpo's basket with 1:39 left in the half before Phoenix rattled off the next 10 to trail 54-52 at the break.
--Field Level Media