
The Phoenix Suns begin a six-game road trip tonight against a struggling Milwaukee Bucks team as they look to keep their momentum rolling.
Phoenix (37-27) has won four of its past five games in an easier part of its schedule, while the Bucks (27-36) will be closing out a five-game homestand and have lost six of their last seven matchups.
This will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
Phoenix will still be down two starters in Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture) and Mark Williams (left foot third metatarsal stress reaction) tonight, meaning it will be sticking with the same starting five it has used the past three games.
The Suns are 2-1 in this stretch, and their three-guard lineup really impressed in their 111-99 victory over the Charlotte Hornets Sunday with Booker recording 30 points and 10 assists and Green and Gillespie scoring 24 points apiece.
The smaller lineup will face a tough task going against Giannis Antetokounmpo tonight.
Although Phoenix will be continue to be without Brooks and Williams, the Suns are getting back two key bench pieces tonight.
Jordan Goodwin will be returning after missing the last seven games with a left calf strain, while Grayson Allen, who has been by far Phoenix's top scoring option off the bench as of late, is also active after missing the Hornets win after his knee swelled up, meaning the Suns' full bench will be available tonight.
The Suns will be very glad to get back Goodwin's energy, especially with Brooks still sidelined.
"He has the intangibles. He gets us those extra possessions. He's a havoc on-ball. We've missed his presence." Booker said of Goodwin at shootaround to The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin.
Milwaukee will be getting back two starters in Antetokounmpo (right calf injury management) and Kyle Kuzma (thoracic spine contusion) after both missed the Bucks' blowout loss to the Orlando Magic on Sunday.
Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee synovitis), Bobby Portis (back thoracic spine contusion) and Jericho Sims (right patella tendonitis) are all out for the Bucks.
The Bucks, who rank 24th in the league in both offense and defense, are 16-17 on the year when Antetokounmpo plays and should be extra motivated tonight with their recent cold streak that has moved them to four games back of the final Eastern Conference play-in spot.
Tonight's game is scheduled to tip off shortly after 5:00 p.m. MST.
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