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 Guard Goran Dragic scored a game-high 30 points, as the Suns
staved off several Milwaukee rallies in the second half to take sole
possession of second place in the Pacific Division.
After landing hard on his left elbow in the fourth quarter, Dragic
stayed in the game and helped his team close out the Bucks with 13
points in the final five minutes. He came in averaging 20.4 points
per game, and finished with 20-plus points for the 11th time in 17
games.
Following up a 30-point performance of his own, guard Gerald Green
added 23 points for the Suns, including four 3-pointers. After
committing a technical foul, Bucks fans audibly chanted Green's
first name, which he said served as motivation.
"I started listening to the crowd a little bit, you know, that kind
of got me going," Green said. "Best part about the game to me. That
kept fueling me up. It's exciting, too, when you can kind of play
against the crowd like that, or whatever. I took the challenge to go
out there and try to give my team a spark, and ... I'm just happy
that we got the win."
The Bucks were led by guard Ersan Ilyasova's 27 points, while center
Larry Sanders added 14 and grabbed nine rebounds. Guard Brandon
Knight had a great night at the free-throw line, going 11-for-11 en
route to scoring 24 points and dishing eight assists.
Five Bucks scored in double-digits, but it wasn't enough to hold
back the surging Suns as Milwaukee never led, never fully overcoming
an early 23-point deficit.
After a Marcus Morris 3-pointer gave Phoenix the 57-34 lead with
3:25 remaining in the first half, the Bucks closed the half on a
14-5 run. Milwaukee climbed to within six points of the Suns with
5:58 left in the third quarter, but four unanswered points by Green
got the lead back to double digits for Phoenix.
Guard Ish Smith gave the Suns a 91-84 lead at the end of the third
quarter, running the floor with around three seconds left and
banking in a hook shot that barely beat the buzzer.
After Milwaukee turned the ball over on three straight possessions
early in the fourth quarter, center Alex Len brought the Phoenix
lead to 10 points with five unanswered.
The Bucks cut it to a 100-95 Suns lead with around 7:30 to play when
a Nate Wolters steal led to a breakaway dunk by guard Giannis
Antetokounmpo. But Milwaukee would never get that close again.
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Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said he was pleased with his team's
offensive rhythm, but thinks it has room to improve defensively when
protecting leads.
"We have had that tendency throughout the year when we get up early
to relax," Hornacek said. "If you aren't scoring, you have to at
least play defense, and we did neither during that stretch and let
them back into the game."
Bucks coach Larry Drew had plenty to say about his own defense as it
struggled mightily to contain Phoenix's physical game.
"There were some breakdowns, but you know going into a game like
tonight and playing against Dragic that the pick and roll is a big
part of their game," Drew said. "They are going to score and he is
going to make some shots for them. There are other areas where we
had some breakdowns that concerned me the most. But some of that
stuff you just have to live with."
Morris added 16 points to lead all bench scorers, while his brother,
Markieff, added 13. As a team, the Suns finished with 49 bench
points to Milwaukee's 34.
The Suns' road trip will end Thursday night in Indiana, where
Phoenix will have a chance to record its first undefeated road trip
of four games or more since 2010. The Bucks' next game is in
Orlando, where they'll attempt to knock off the team just above them
in the Eastern Conference cellar.
NOTES: Milwaukee played without C Zaza Pachulia (right foot
fracture), G Carlos Delfino (post-surgery, right foot), G O.J. Mayo
(illness) and F Ekpe Udoh (sprained left ankle). ... The Suns played
without C Emeka Okafor (herniated disc) and G Eric Bledsoe (right
knee arthroscopy). ... Bucks C Larry Sanders and G Gary Neal were
available after missing Milwaukee's Jan. 27 loss to the Los Angeles
Clippers with flu-like symptoms. ... Suns F Channing Frye scored in
double digits for the 14th time in 16 games. ... Before the game,
Bucks G Giannis Antetokounmpo was named to the 2014 BBVA Compass
Rising Stars Challenge, which will take place Feb. 14 during
All-Star Weekend. Antetokounmpo entered Wednesday's contest
averaging seven points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game.
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