Suns and Bucks Match-up in Sunday Matinee

Phoenix Suns (18-40) v Milwaukee Bucks (25-31)

Sunday 2/26/2017 1:30pm
BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
Fox Sports Arizona/Arizona Sports 98.7FM

Season Series – Bucks lead 1-0
All-Time Series – Phoenix Leads 70-67
Last Matchup – February 4, 2017 Milwaukee won 137-112
Suns’ Last Game – Loss to the Chicago Bulls 128-121
Bucks’ Last Game – Loss to the Utah Jazz 109-95
Suns’ Scoring Averages – PTS/G: 107.2 (10th of 30) Opp PTS/G: 112.7 (29th of 30)
Bucks’ Scoring Averages – PTS/G: 105.5 (15th of 30) Opp PTS/G: 105.5 (13th of 30)

Preview

The last time these two teams matched up on February 4, the Bucks dropped 45 points on the Suns (in Phoenix) in the first quarter. It was the most points the Suns have allowed in any quarter all season, and the most the Bucks have scored in any quarter this season as well. The Bucks went on to a dominating wire-to-wire victory over the Suns, winning by 25 points, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 30 points and 12 rebounds. Devin Booker scored 31 points for the Suns and Marquese Chriss scored a career-high 27. For a full recap and analysis of that game, including some interesting historical context, read here.

Since that game the Suns have gone 2-5, while the Bucks are 3-3.

Against the Chicago Bulls two nights ago, Eric Bledsoe had a career night dishing out 10 assists – the 20th game of his career reaching double-digits. With the 13 assists he recorded against the Los Angeles Lakers in the team’s final game before the All-Star break, this is the first time in Bledsoe’s career that he has recorded double-digit assists in back-to-back games.

For the remainder of the season Phoenix is going to be playing their youth a lot more than some of their veterans, and it looks like Tyson Chandler and Brandon Knight will receive the bulk of the extended bench time.

Against Chicago, Alan Williams recorded 16 points, a career-high, in just under 15 minutes. 19-year old rookie Derrick Jones Jr. set several career-highs, including playing time with 14:11 minutes, 2 assists, and taking and making 2 free throws. He also tied career-high’s set against Los Angeles before the All-Star break with 6 points and 2 rebounds.

Three Interesting Stats

Phoenix Suns

1. With an 18-40 record on the season, the Suns are four games better in the W/L column than they were last season. However, although they are still hold the second worst record in the NBA, they are only .5 games behind the Lakers in that position, with L.A. having one more win than Phoenix.

2. Phoenix has lost four of their last five against Milwaukee, their worst five game stretch against the Bucks since losing four of five from February 1987 to March 1989.

3. Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe are each averaging over 21 points per game on the season – 21.5 and 21.2 points respectively. Should they carry this out over the team’s final 24 games, it will be the first time a pair of Suns teammates have averaged over 21 points per game for a season since the 2002-03 season when Stephon Marbury averaged 22.3 and Shawn Marion averaged 21.2.

Milwaukee Bucks

1. If Milwaukee defeats the Suns today, they will have swept Phoenix in two consecutive seasons

More from Valley of the Suns

for the first time in the two franchise’s history – a history that began at the same time back in the 1968-69 season.

2. The 137 points the Bucks scored vs the Suns on February 4, was the most the team had scored against the Suns in regulation since dropping 144 on Phoenix back on February 22, 1970. Lew Alcinder scored 34 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in that game, while the Bucks scored 84 points in the second half alone with 41 points in the 3rd and 43 points in the 4th quarters. (Milwaukee did scored 140 vs Phoenix on November 24, 1985, although in Overtime).

3. Jason Kidd holds a 6-1 head coaching record against the Phoenix Suns in his four years so far as a Head Coach.