The Phoenix Suns (34-37) face the Milwaukee Bucks (40-30) at 7 p.m. Monday, at PHX Arena. The game will be televised on Arizona’s Family (3TV in Phoenix).
The Suns are coming off Friday’s 123-112 win over the Cavaliers and looking to extend their current home winning streak to four games.
The Bucks have won two straight and will be playing the fourth of a five-game road trip. The Suns are tied for the 10th and final play-in spot in the West with Dallas, but hold the tiebreaker over the Mavs, which play the Nets in Brooklyn on Monday. The Bucks are fifth in the East.
The game marks the first time Phoenix coach Mike Budenholzer has faced the Bucks since he was fired by the franchise after the 2022-23 season. The teams meet again on April 1 in Milwaukee.
Check back at azcentral.com for live updates from tonight’s game.
Suns injury update, starting lineup
Bradley Beal remains out with a left hamstring strain as he’ll miss a fourth straight game. Budenholzer said Beal is making progress, but wouldn’t provide a timetable on his return.
Grayson Allen is returning from a left foot strain after missing six games. Allen talked about the injury after Monday’s morning shootaround, saying he took longer than expected to return as he felt it happened March 9 against Dallas in the first of a back-to-back.
He played the second of a back-to-back at Memphis, hasn’t played since, but he’s available Monday.
Suns bigs Nick Richards and Mason Plumlee are also available after being listed as probable. Richards was a late scratch from Friday’s game after experiencing right calf tightness in a pregame workout.
“It was a great five years, but I think right now before the game, I’d rather just focus on Phoenix, focus on us, get ready to do our jobs. Our players don’t care. I probably shouldn’t, either.”
Mike Budenholzer on facing Milwaukee Bucks for 1st time since they fired him after… pic.twitter.com/t6Idh6eZtP
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 25, 2025
Plumlee returns after sitting two games with a left quad strain. Plumlee talked after Monday’s shootaround as well, saying he’ll be ready “if” the Suns need him.
Budenholzer has been playing rookie Oso Ighodaro as a backup big in Plumlee’s absence and started for Richards in Phoenix’s big win over Cleveland. He played a career-high 44 minutes and grabbed 13 rebounds, which was also a career high.
The Suns are starting Collin Gillespie for a fourth straight game as the Suns have won the previous three. The two-way point guard is in the lineup with Devin Booker, rookie Ryan Dunn, Kevin Durant and Richards.
So, will Ighodaro and Plumlee both play or will Budenholzer go with just Ighodaro as the backup big as he likes a eight to nine-man rotation.
The Bucks are down Damian Lillard (right calf soreness), but still have two-time NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will be facing Budenholzer for the first time since the firing.
Ryan Rollins, Taurean Prince, Kyle Kuzma and Brook Lopez are in Milwaukee’s starting lineup along with Antetokounmpo.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at [email protected] or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns-Bucks live updates: Can Phoenix extend home win streak?
