PHOENIX SUNS VS. MILWAUKEE BUCKS EXPERT PICK – MARCH 17, 2024 — Greetings, basketball fans. Welcome back to our NBA coverage here at Total Apex Sports. One of the games on tap from today’s slate features the Phoenix Suns (38-28 SU, 26-39-2 ATS) traveling on the road to take on the Milwaukee Bucks (43-24 SU, 29-38 ATS).
Here is a look at how both squads are performing coming into this matchup.
Tipoff
When: Sunday, March 17, 2024 @ 12:00 PM ET
Where: Fiserv Forum, Milwaukee, WI
TV: ABC
Phoenix Suns vs. Milwaukee Bucks – Regular Season Stats & Trends
Can The Suns Punctuate Their Road Trip With Another “W”?
Phoenix Suns Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 116.8 PPG – 12TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 117.7 points per 100 possessions – 11TH
- Scoring Defense: 114.2 PPG – 16TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 115.1 points per 100 possessions – 13TH
The Suns have the sixth-best record in the Western Conference but have just a half-game lead over the seventh-place Sacramento Kings. Phoenix has posted six wins in its last six contests, including a 107-86 win over the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night.
The head guy for the Suns in that contest was Devin Booker. He scored a team-high 21 points, to go along with 11 assists, and six rebounds.
Grayson Allen added 17 points and three assists, while Kevin Durant contributed 13 points, eight boards, and five dimes.
Suns’ Balanced Scoring Attack And Defensive Effort Were The Difference In Victory Over Charlotte
Although Booker and Durant shot a combined 13-for-33 from the field and 2-for-14 from beyond the arc, the Suns emerged victorious thanks to a balanced attack in which six players scored in double figures.
Phoenix also excelled from a defensive standpoint as well, holding the Hornets to 37.2 percent from the floor and 16.2 percent from 3-point range. This marked the first time they held an opponent to under 100 points in over two months.
Can the Suns duplicate this effort against a Bucks team that has the fourth-highest scoring average in the association?
Can The Bucks Post Consecutive Wins For The First Time In Two Weeks?
Milwaukee Bucks Season Stats:
- Scoring Offense: 120.4 PPG – 4TH
- Offensive Efficiency: 120.4 points per 100 possessions – 5TH
- Scoring Defense: 117.1 PPG – 20TH
- Defensive Efficiency: 115.9 points per 100 possessions – 17TH
The Bucks have the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, but the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers are just one game behind them in the standings. Milwaukee has posted seven wins in its last 10 outings, including a 114-105 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night.
Giannis Antetokounmpo paced the team’s offense with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists. He accomplished this while attempting just 12 shots.
Brook Lopez finished with a stat line of 19 points, seven rebounds, and five assists. Damian Lillard added 17 points and nine assists.
After trailing by eight points at the break, the Bucks clamped down at the defensive end of the floor. They outscored Philadelphia 61-44 in the second half, including a 34-22 advantage in the final frame.
The Bucks’ second-half defensive effort that held off the Sixers is not the only positive news. On top of that, It is being reported that Khris Middleton will return to the lineup against the Suns.
Milwaukee went 10-6 during his absence but his return is a huge positive for this ball club with the postseason looming.
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