Suns coach Mike Budenholzer finally faces Bucks

Mike Budenholzer guided the Milwaukee Bucks to the 2021 NBA title and was fired two years later after a 58-win season.

Now in his first season with the Suns, Budenholzer coaches against his former team for the first time since the dismissal when Milwaukee visits Phoenix on Monday night.

Budenholzer went 271-120 in five seasons with Milwaukee but a first-round exit in 2023 when the Bucks were the top seed in the Eastern Conference earned him a pink slip. The eighth-seeded Miami Heat won that series in five games.

Budenholzer sat out the 2023-24 season before the Suns tabbed him to replace the fired Frank Vogel. Budenholzer's title with the Bucks came against Phoenix in six games.

Yet, the coach wasn't interested in talking about the Bucks after Friday's 123-112 home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"Yeah, I'm going to just enjoy tonight," Budenholzer told reporters. "We got two days, and we'll get ready to play and it'll be good... But I think we're just going to take this in tonight."

Budenholzer's first game back in Milwaukee is also on the horizon. The Suns visit the Bucks on April 1.

Phoenix (34-37) is just trying to get into the play-in round this season. The Suns are tied for the 10th and final Western Conference spot with the Dallas Mavericks with just 11 games remaining.

But the Suns are currently riding a 3-0 start to a five-game homestand that concludes Wednesday against the Boston Celtics.

In the impressive victory over the East-leading Cavaliers, Kevin Durant led the way with 42 points, eight assists and six rebounds. He knocked down 17 of 29 shots.

"I liked that I was precise and straight to my movements and not wasting too much time," Durant said after his second-highest point total of the season.

The Suns could use more outings like that as 10 of their final 11 games are against teams in either playoff or play-in position.

"Every game is going to be a battle at this point," Phoenix star Devin Booker said. "We see the remaining schedule, we know what we're up against and we're going to have to sustain what we're doing now. There's going to be rough parts but still going to have to stick together and keep doing what we're doing."

Milwaukee (40-30) has won back-to-back games and resides in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. The Bucks are 2-1 on a five-game road trip.

Star guard Damian Lillard (calf) has missed the past two games. He will remain out for Monday's matchup. Bobby Portis Jr. (suspension) and Jericho Sims (thumb) will be sidelined, as well.

Giannis Antetokounmpo was a one-man show with 32 points and 17 rebounds in Saturday's 114-108 victory over the Sacramento Kings. He stepped up his game after Milwaukee trailed by 14 in the opening minute of the third quarter and had 22 points on 9-of-11 shooting in the period.

"I'll be honest with you -- I just said '(expletive) it, like I got to be aggressive,'" Antetokounmpo said. "I'll be honest with you. That's what I said in my mind. I didn't say it to anybody. I said it in my mind, you know? So, that's pretty much it. Sometimes when you play basketball, you're going to have moments like that and you're like '(expletive) it.'"

Bucks coach Doc Rivers was just fine with Antetokounmpo's takeover.

"I think Giannis did it the right way," Rivers said. "He wasn't forcing anything. He was getting to the basket. He took a couple jump shots, he made one, made two. One I didn't like, other than that I can't remember any shot that he took where I thought he was trying to take it over, it was just that he was taking it over. There's a difference."

Suns guard Bradley Beal (hamstring) will miss his fourth straight game.

--Field Level Media