Phoenix Suns (38-27) beat Milwaukee Bucks (27-37) 129-114 on the road on Tuesday, March 10.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Suns had the better start, winning the first 36-30 to lead by 6 after one. The Bucks moved in front with a 35-26 second quarter, carrying a 3-point lead into halftime.
The Suns won the third 38-32 to turn the game around, taking a 3-point lead into the fourth. The Suns took the fourth 29-17; the Suns finished the job for a 129-114 regulation win.
What decided it
The Suns took better care of the ball, turning it over on 11.4% of possessions compared with 16.2% for the Bucks. The Suns got more from their shots, finishing at 67.4% effective field-goal shooting compared with 61% for the Bucks. Those extra possessions were crucial.
The Bucks did win one battle, the free-throw line: FT rate of 17.1 against 10.1. The Suns made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 98 possessions per team, the Suns produced 131.9 points per 100 possessions to 116.5 for the Bucks.
The Suns' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 32-11.
Who made the difference
Kyle Kuzma was the game's biggest individual force for MIL: 33 pts, 3 reb, 3 ast on 12-21 shooting. His Game Score of 25.6 led everyone. His team was -16 with him on the floor.
Devin Booker led the Suns with 27 pts, 5 reb, 7 ast on 10-21 shooting, good for a 21.5 Game Score.
Ousmane Dieng (12 pts, 10 reb, 4 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
The pre-game Win Meter had it close to a coin flip, at about 53% for the Suns.
Across the last 2 meetings in our records, the series is even.
The Suns are now 38-27, and the Bucks are 27-37. The Suns last five before this game: W-W-L-W-W.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.