Milwaukee Bucks (29-41) beat Phoenix Suns (39-32) 108-105 on the road on Saturday, March 21, after falling far behind. The Bucks were down 11 at one quarter break and still finished 3 ahead.
The game, quarter by quarter
The Suns had the better start, winning the first 26-15 to lead by 11 after one. The Bucks moved in front with a 42-26 second quarter, carrying a 5-point lead into halftime.
The Suns won the third 30-24 to turn the game around, taking a 1-point lead into the fourth. The Bucks took the fourth 27-23; the Bucks completed the comeback for a 108-105 regulation win.
What flipped it
The Bucks got more from their shots, finishing at 60.3% effective field-goal shooting compared with 53.4% for the Suns. The Bucks made 17.9 free throws per 100 field-goal attempts, compared with 11.2 for the Suns. In a 3-point game, that shooting gap supplied the clearest edge.
The Suns did win one battle, ball security: TOV% of 10.5 against 15.9. The Bucks made up for it elsewhere.
At roughly 95 possessions per team, the Bucks produced 114.2 points per 100 possessions to 111 for the Suns.
The Bucks' reserves also made a difference, outscoring the opposing bench 41-26.
Who carried the comeback
Ryan Rollins was the game's biggest individual force for MIL: 26 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast, 3 stl on 10-19 shooting. His Game Score of 23 led everyone. His team was +6 with him on the floor.
Collin Gillespie led the Suns with 18 pts, 4 reb, 6 ast on 6-13 shooting, good for a 15.3 Game Score.
Ryan Rollins (26 pts, 10 reb, 7 ast) recorded a double-double.
What it means
By our Win Meter this was an upset: The Bucks entered with about a 18% chance.
Across the last 3 meetings in our records, Phoenix Suns lead 2-1.
The Bucks are now 29-41, and the Suns are 39-32. The Bucks last five before this game: L-L-W-L-L.
Written automatically by Tip Off Live software from box score data. Ratings and probabilities are our own model estimates.