PHOENIX — Kelly Oubre Jr. had 27 points and 13 rebounds, and the Phoenix Suns rallied from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the NBA-best Milwaukee Bucks 114-105 on Monday night (Tuesday morning, Philippine time).
Kelly Oubre Jr. of the Phoenix Suns celebrates after forcing a turnover against the Milwaukee Bucks. | AP photo
Devin Booker added 22 points and Deandre Ayton had 19 points and 12 rebounds, including a key layup with 35.8 seconds to play that gave the league-worst Suns a four-point lead.
All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points and 13 rebounds, and Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 points for the Bucks, who have lost two straight games for the first time this season. Milwaukee shot 36.8 percent as a team.
The Bucks led by 16 points in the first half, only to trail by three in the third quarter.
Milwaukee, the team with the NBA’s best road record coming in, couldn’t put away Phoenix in the final quarter.
Booker swished a 3-pointer with 2:37 to go for a 100-98 Suns lead, and Oubre’s corner 3 made it 103-100. Brogdon got a favorable high bounce on a 3 to tie it, but Tyler Johnson and Ayton scored the next two baskets for the Suns to effectively seal their third win in four games.
The Bucks took a 31-20 lead into the second quarter. They were up 40-24 after Lopez made a 3 with 8:32 to play in the first half.
The Suns cut the lead to 54-52 at halftime. Johnson and Josh Jackson knocked down back-to-back 3s to cap off a 10-0 run over the last 90 seconds of the first half.
Booker’s 3 with 10:02 left in the third tied the score at 55, and the Suns took their first lead of the game, 64-63, on Ayton’s 12-footer with 5:35 to go in the quarter. Then Johnson’s steal and layup had the Suns up 70-67. /bmjo
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