1-26 Phoenix 98 Milwaukee 90

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Boxscore

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The Milwaukee Bucks wouldn't go so far as to say that they were encouraged by their 98-90 loss to the high-flying Phoenix Suns on Friday night at the Bradley Center.

But the Bucks were competitive for 48 minutes against a team with championship aspirations and there was something to be said for that.

"It was a good game," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said. "We played them a good game. We played the best team in the league a very good game and from that aspect it is encouraging. Losing is never easy and the players aren't feeling encouraged right now because you want some of that sacrifice and some of that effort to be rewarded with a win. But that being said, it was a good game against a very good team."

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Post Game Audio

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ON THE COURT
Player of the game:Raja Bell sank seven of 11 three-point shots and finished with 27 points to pace the Suns, but he must share honors with teammate Shawn Marion, who pulled down 23 rebounds, one shy of his career best.

Play of the game: The Bucks had trimmed the Suns' lead to 93-90, and Andrew Bogut drew a charging foul on Amare Stoudemire to thwart one Phoenix possession. But on the Suns' next chance with the ball, Steve Nash calmly swung the ball to the corner for Bell, who sank his seventh three-pointer for a 96-90 lead with 19.9 seconds left.

Statistics sheet: The Suns shot just 42.5% (37 for 87) but Stoudemire was 8 for 11 and Bell was 10 for 18. Phoenix hit 39.3% of its three-pointers (11 of 28), so players other than Bell went 4 for 17 from beyond the arc. The Bucks shot 40.9% overall (36 for 88).

Off the bench: The Suns got little from their bench players. Leandro Barbosa, James Jones and Marcus Banks combined to shoot 3 for 23. Ersan Ilyasova had 13 points and seven rebounds off the Bucks' bench, and Charlie Villanueva had 10 points and 10 rebounds.

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Sacramento - The Milwaukee Bucks fell victim to another slow start and were defeated by the Sacramento Kings, 114-106, at Arco Arena Wednesday night.

It was the Bucks' fifth straight loss and they finished their Western trip with an 0-4 record. The Bucks fell behind by 16 points in the first quarter and although they took several runs at the Kings, Milwaukee never led in the game.

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MILWAUKEE - Instead of champagne, the only thing spraying in the Suns postgame locker room was deodorant aerosol.

Instead of celebratory hugs, there were only good-natured jabs being exchanged.

The Suns set a franchise standard Friday in Milwaukee with a 98-90 victory, a club record-breaking 16th consecutive win that went immediately into the corner garbage with a toss more accurate than the night's shooting.

Republic