Milwaukee Bucks: 3 takeaways from 128-127 OT loss to Phoenix Suns

In what was potentially the NBA’s game of the year, the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Phoenix Suns in anticlimactic fashion due to a late foul call.

With the game knotted at 127 in overtime with 0.3 seconds left to play, Phoenix’s Devin Booker went to the free throw line after a questionable foul call on P.J. Tucker and Booker shot 1-for-2 to hand Milwaukee their second consecutive loss. Losing in such fashion with a final score of 128-127, this defeat undoubtedly ranks among the most heartbreaking for the Bucks this season.

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It was another defeat that came at the hands of some late-game blunders, something that has been a recurring theme for Milwaukee throughout the season. In fact, they suffered a similar fate against this very same opponent as they fell to Phoenix in a 125-124 loss on February 10. 

Something about those Suns always has the Bucks playing it close down to the final seconds. Just as it did the first time around, this loss will certainly sting for the foreseeable future, particularly as the Bucks are still within striking distance of climbing higher in the Eastern Conference standings.

Only time will tell how this game impacts their chances of gunning for a higher seed, but here are three takeaways from the Bucks’ crushing overtime loss to the Suns last night.

Milwaukee Bucks lose the 3-point battle in loss to Suns

The Bucks have been among the best 3-point shooting teams in the association this season, but they could not throw the ball into the ocean for a large portion of last night’s contest.

Milwaukee shot just 2-of-15 from behind the arc in the first half against Phoenix, miraculously only trailing by one with a 55-54 difference at the break. They were able to find some rhythm in the second half by shooting 9-of-19 from distance, but a 32.4 percent outing from long-range typically spells doom for the Bucks. They kept pace with the Suns by scoring a hefty portion of their points close to the basket by logging a whopping 64 points in the paint throughout the contest.

Yet, it was not enough as Phoenix was lighting it up from 3-point range all night long by knocking down 40.5 percent of their triples. Shooting 17-of-42 in total from range, the Suns kept this game close by consistently torching the Bucks with a barrage of triples. Whenever Milwaukee appeared like they might be prepared to make a run, it seemed like Mikal Bridges or Cameron Johnson, who shot a combined 8-for-13 from deep on the evening, would knock down another triple.

Guarding the perimeter continues to be a looming issue for Milwaukee as the end of the regular season inches closer. While knocking down their own attempts would have helped, it is clear that this team still has yet to figure out the formula defensively.