Bucks Set to Face a Shorthanded Suns Squad

The Milwaukee Bucks are about to face a shorthanded but desperate Suns team on Tuesday night.

Mar 24, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) handles the ball against Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the fourth quarter at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Milwaukee Bucks are in desperate need of a win as the season winds down. They have lost four straight games since Damian Lillard had his DVT diagnosis and six of their last eight games overall.

Because of their slide, the Bucks now sit sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. They are a game and a half behind the Pistons for fifth and are now three and a half games behind the Pacers for fourth.

It looks like Milwaukee will more than likely stay at sixth and have to face the Knicks in the first round of the playoffs. If they want to make a move up the standings, it must start now.

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The good news for the Bucks is that they get to face a Phoenix Suns team that is also struggling. The Suns have slid to 11th in the Western Conference standings, just outside of the final play-in.

The Suns also come into this game extremely shorthanded. Kevin Durant will miss at least a week after spraining his ankle. That leaves the Suns without their best pure scorer for this game.

Bradley Beal is also on the injury report. He is listed as questionable because of a left hamstring strain. Beal is their best player off the bench.

Milwaukee could not be facing this team at a better time. There is perhaps no team in the league that has worse vibes around it than the Suns, even before guys got hurt.

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The Bucks need to win this game to give themselves some confidence that they can beat teams without Lillard out on the floor. They likely will have to start the playoffs without him, and they might have to face the entire playoffs without him.

Milwaukee was bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Pacers last year. They are facing another first-round exit this season if they can't build some momentum heading into the playoffs.

So far this season, Durant is averaging 26.6 points, six rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Beal is averaging 17.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

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