Tuesday NBA Basketball Odds: Phoenix Suns at Milwaukee Bucks
Tuesday, February 07, 2012
Frank Martin
For one game anyway, Steve Nash looked like the S. Nash of yesteryear. He scored 24 points and had 11 assists as Phoenix defeated Atlanta 99-90 on Monday.
The Phoenix Suns look for their first three-game winning streak when they visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday. Nash, who came into Monday's game averaging 14.5 points, will turn 38 years old Tuesday. "He’s very crafty," Atlanta coach Larry Drew said. "He gets the ball to the open man.
He’s still making shots. He’s 38, but you’d never know it when you watch him play." Nash, who leads the NBA in assists per game, played with a sore right shoulder. The Bucks have lost two in a row since their comeback win over Miami last week, including a 113-90 home defeat to Chicago on Saturday. The Bucks trailed by 24 points at halftime and allowed the Bulls to shoot 67 percent in the first half.
"It was a layup drill for them for a good portion of the game," Bucks coach Scott Skiles said. "We’ve got eight straight quarters of pretty poor defense."
- Phoenix Suns @ Milwaukee Bucks
When: 8:00 PM ET, Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Where: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Arizona (Suns), FS Wisconsin (Bucks)
The Bucks have opened as 7.5-point favorites on SBG Global Sportsbook’s Live NBA Basketball Odds.
Phoenix Suns (10-14): Phoenix has won two straight and three of four, but is struggling to stay close in the Western Conference playoff race. The Suns have improved defensively under coach Alvin Gentry, but have had problems scoring. Phoenix, which ranks near the bottom of the league in several offensive categories, shot an uncharacteristic 51.9 percent from the field Monday. Nash hit all four of his 3-point attempts while Channing Frye was 8 for 16 from the field. Center Marcin Gortat had nine rebounds, ending his string of double-figure rebounding games at 15. The Suns have won consecutive games for only the third time this season.
Milwaukee Bucks (10-13): The controversy between Skiles and Stephen Jackson, Milwaukee's second-leading scorer, continues. Skiles benched Jackson for a game in New York two weeks ago after the veteran guard missed the team's morning shoot-around. Jackson was suspended for one game by the league for verbally abusing a referee late last month. Skiles chose not to play Jackson against the Bulls even though the Bucks were getting run out of the building. "I'm coming to work every day," Jackson said. "If I'm called, I'll be ready, point blank. My job is to play basketball. My job is not to be here to be friends with anybody. I get paid to play basketball."
1. Suns guard Michael Redd returns to Milwaukee, where he played the first 11 seasons of his career. He appeared in only 61 games the last three seasons because of injuries. Redd is averaging 5.0 points in 10 games this season.
2. Skiles missed Milwaukee's practice Monday because of an illness, but is expected to be on the bench for Tuesday's game.
3. Phoenix has defeated Milwaukee in 10 of the last 11 meetings, including three straight. The Suns defeated the Bucks 109-93 at home on Jan. 8.
NBA BASKETBALL PREDICTION: Bucks 97, Suns 91
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alvin gentry - bradley center - larry drew - marcin gortat - michael redd - milwaukee bucks - phoenix suns - scott skiles - stephen jackson - steve nash
