Mike Budenholzer returns to Milwaukee for the first time since the Bucks parted ways with him in 2023 as the Bucks welcome the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.
It will be Budenholzer’s first time at Fiserv Forum since Game 5 of the 2023 first-round series when the Bucks lost to the Miami Heat.
Before these teams played one week ago in Arizona, the Phoenix PR staff did not allow Bucks reporters to ask questions. Budenholzer did acknowledge one from a Suns media member.
“I mean, it was a great five years, but right now before the game I’d rather just focus on Phoenix, focus on us,” Budenholzer said. “Our players don’t care (about my history with Milwaukee). I probably shouldn’t either.”
Both teams will be looking to snap losing skids. Phoenix (35-40) comes in off a 148-109 blowout Sunday night at home to the Houston Rockets — their third loss in a row.
“Couple days ago, we won four games in a row. We have to find a way to get back to that,” Budenholzer said. “Tonight, it was a step in the wrong direction. It’s a group that’s got fight; we’ve got to bring it Tuesday.”
Budenholzer added that superstar Kevin Durant will not fly with the team to Milwaukee after he rolled his ankle early in Sunday’s game.
Milwaukee (40-34) has lost four in a row and nine of its last 13. The Bucks fell to the Atlanta Hawks 145-124 on Sunday night.
It was another game for the Bucks in which they shot a high percentage and yet lost handily. Milwaukee was shooting 69 percent at halftime yet were down seven.
“It’s almost impossible…I told our guys that any game we score over 120 we should win with our defense,” said Bucks head coach Doc Rivers. “Obviously, I was wrong.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee with 30.2 points and 11.9 boards per game. With Damian Lillard unavailable, he also leads with 5.9 assists per contest.
Durant and Devin Booker lead Phoenix with 26.6 and 25.3 points per game, respectively. Booker dishes seven assists per night while Mason Plumlee averages a team-high 6.2 boards.
Bradley Beal remains out with a hamstring injury for Phoenix. There is not a clear timetable for his return.
For Milwaukee, Lillard (deep vein thrombosis) remains out along with Jericho Sims (thumb) and Bobby Portis (suspension). AJ Green (shoulder) also missed Sunday’s game and is considered day-to-day.
When these teams met last Tuesday, Devin Booker put Phoenix ahead with a jumper in the final seconds to help the Suns win a 108-106 thriller.
Durant had 38 to lead Phoenix along with Booker’s 19 points and 12 assists. Antetokounmpo led Milwaukee with 31 points and 10 rebounds while Brook Lopez scored 23 with 10 boards.
These teams that faced off in the 2021 NBA Finals have traded wins in their last four matchups, with the two-game season series being split a year ago. Phoenix has a chance to sweep the series for the first time since that 2021 regular season.
