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Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks Game Preview, Odds, Picks & Predictions

Shorthanded Suns Visit Bucks In Finals Rematch

The rematch of last season’s NBA Finals matchup won’t be as star-studded as anticipated when the Phoenix Suns visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Phoenix will be without its All-Star guard duo of Chris Paul and Devin Booker, though it has won two in a row. Milwaukee is on a three-game winning streak but won’t be taking the Suns lightly. You shouldn’t either when bet online on this game, as you can read about here.

Suns Coming Off Major Rally Without Stars

The Phoenix Suns would prefer to be playing with Paul (wrist injury) and Booker (COVID-19 protocols), with the two representing a combined 40.5 points, 9.7 rebounds, 15.3 assists and 3.0 steals per game as well as a ton of leadership, but Phoenix is also winning without them. Both were out on Friday when the Suns rallied from 16 down against the New York Knicks, winning on Cam Johnson’s last-second 3-pointer.

Giannis Antetokounmpo reacts Phoenix Suns vs Milwaukee Bucks Picks
John Fisher/Getty Images/AFP

“We just had to have the mental fortitude to take it one possession at a time,” Phoenix coach Monty Williams said after Friday’s win. “It was amazing to see our group, the huddles, every time out, it never felt like we were out of it.”

Unfortunately, Johnson, who scored a career-high 38 points against New York, will miss Sunday’s game with a right quad contusion, meaning the Suns have to make up for even more lost production. That will put more pressure to perform on center Deandre Ayton, who will have his hands full defensively against the Bucks as well.

Ayton, who is second on the Suns with 16.3 points per game as well as leading the team with 9.8 rebounds, is coming off just eight points and three rebounds against the Knicks. He’ll need much more against the strong front line of Milwaukee.

Another player to watch is guard Cameron Payne, who had 17 points and 16 assists in the win over the Knicks. He’ll be aggressive pushing the ball to get the Suns’ easy offense rather than face the Bucks’ halfcourt defense.

Bucks Streaking Behind Greek Freak

The Milwaukee Bucks have been in the mix in the Eastern Conference, but they may be looking to make a move for the top spot and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo getting hot. Antetokounmpo has been having another great season, averaging 29.4 points, 11.6 rebounds and 6.0 rebounds, but over the last 10 games, he’s upped that production to 32.1 points, 13.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists per contest.

Milwaukee is also coming off consecutive victories over Eastern Conference powers, edging the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls to move into a tie for the Central Division lead and pull within 3½ games of the conference-leading Heat. Sending a message against the NBA-leading Suns will certainly be a big goal as well on Sunday.

Part of the surge has also come from the play of forward Khris Middleton, who is averaging 20.5 points and 5.1 assists over his last 10 games. Middleton hasn’t shot the ball particularly well from 3-point range, hitting just 29.2% over that span, but he’s still one of the most dangerous shooters in the league.

Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks Head-to-Head

The Phoenix Suns easily won the first matchup between these teams, taking a 24-point victory at home in early February, but Booker, Paul, and Johnson were all available for that matchup. The Milwaukee Bucks will be looking to get back into the win column and snap a four-game regular-season losing streak against their Finals nemesis.

Of course, Milwaukee has the memory of rallying from a 2-0 deficit in last year’s NBA Finals to win four straight and defeat the Suns for the NBA title. The Bucks had three home wins in that series, and that’s part of the reasoning for the NBA lines favoring the Bucks by so much in this one.

Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks Game Information

Game: Phoenix Suns (51-12) at Milwaukee Bucks (39-25)

Location: Fiserv Forum

Day/Time: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET

Television: ABC

Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks Betting Lines

Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks Prediction

This would be a fantastic contest if the Phoenix Suns were completely healthy and playing like they’ve been all season long. But the Milwaukee Bucks know not to overlook this group, even without the biggest names in its lineup available. Phoenix may be able to keep this close for a bit, but look for Milwaukee to pull away for the easy victory by the game’s end.

When making your NBA picks, take the Bucks to win and cover at home.

Pick: Milwaukee Bucks -9 (-110)

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