The Phoenix Suns celebrated a 200th consecutive sellout crowd on March 21 with free popcorn, jersey giveaways and a season-high fifth straight loss.
Continuing to struggle in the fourth quarter, Phoenix fell to the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-105, before 17,071 disappointed fans at Mortgage Matchup Center.
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“Not being able to finish in the fourth, I think, has kind of been the story of the last couple games,” Suns guard Jalen Green said. “It’s a collective thing overall. We just got to be better, all of us.”
The Bucks shot 64.3% in the fourth, going 3-of-4 on 3s and limiting the Suns (39-32) to 36.4% shooting (3-of-10 from distance) in the game’s final 12 minutes.
Green scored a team-high 24 points, while Ryan Rollins posted a near triple-double of 26 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Milwaukee (29-41).
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Live shots from Suns vs Bucks game
Suns guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after a no-call on his layup against the Bucks during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
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Live shots from Suns vs Bucks game
Suns guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after a no-call on his layup against the Bucks during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
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Live shots from Suns vs Bucks game
Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots against Bucks guard AJ Green (20) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
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Live shots from Suns vs Bucks game
Suns head coach Jordan Ott claps for his team against the Bucks during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
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Live shots from Suns vs Bucks game
Suns guard Jalen Green (4) reacts after a no-call on his layup against the Bucks during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
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Live shots from Suns vs Bucks game
Suns guard Devin Booker (1) makes a layup past Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
Rollins scored nine points in the fourth as his driving basket on Jordan Goodwin after a Devin Booker turnover gave Milwaukee an 107-104 lead with 23.8 seconds left.
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Ott said pregame he felt the Suns had improved during a six-game road trip that ended with four straight losses.
Victor Wembanyama hit a game-winning jumper with 1.1 seconds remaining.
“There was tremendous growth on that road trip, even though it was 2-4,” Ott said pregame. “I think that’s where we’re heading is exciting these last 12 games playing some of the best basketball we have all year, but there’s no doubt that fourth quarter, we’ve got to be better.”
The Suns attempted 11 more shots from the field than the Bucks and scored 23 points off 17 Milwaukee turnovers, but they still failed to close with a victory.
Can’t afford losses like this
The Suns were down Grayson Allen (left knee inflammation), Dillon Brooks (left hand fracture), Amir Coffey (left ankle sprain), Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury management), Royce O’Neale (left knee soreness) and Mark Williams (left foot third metatarsal stress reaction).
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Combining that with the loss, Ott was visibly frustrated when asked after the game about the team being short-handed.
“We just want everyone back,” Ott said. “In a rhythm would be a blessing. We just want everyone back. Said it constantly. Tried to stay away from it the last couple of weeks.”
Frustration is understandable, but the Suns can’t afford a loss against a team that was without its best player and isn’t really playing for anything in terms of postseason.
The Bucks didn’t have two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension bone bruise), Bobby Portis (left rib costochondritis), Gary Harris (left groin contusion) and Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee synovitis) as Portis was a late scratch.
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Kyle Kuzma sat out the second half with right Achilles tightness after a 20-point first half, but Milwaukee still pulled out a rare road win to split the season series with Phoenix.
Milwaukee is 13-22 in away games this season.
The Bucks are mathematically alive for the final spot in the play-in, but they’re 7-½ games behind the Charlotte Hornets (37-34) for 10th in the East.
Seventh in the West, Phoenix is four games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth and the Denver Nuggets for fifth.
Phoenix started Saturday’s game with a 9-0 surge. The Suns extended that advantage to 13 points late in the first quarter, but were outscored, 95-79, the remainder of the game.
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That can’t happen against a team with little postseason incentive.
Need better Booker
Booker is playing through a tweaked right ankle after stepping on De’Aaron Fox’s foot on his half-court heave at the horn against the Spurs.
“He’s willing to do whatever it takes,” Ott said. “Knows what time of year it is, how important these games are, so he goes out there. How can we help him more in the fourth quarter?”
Suns guard Devin Booker (1) makes a layup past Bucks center Myles Turner (3) during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
Green said the Suns should “kill teams” for doubling Booker, but the team can’t expect to win with its best player shooting 4-of-17 from the field.
However, it’s that time of the year, and if Booker can play, he must play better.
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Going 1-of-6 in the fourth on March 21 wasn’t good enough, but it’s a continuation of how he’s played down the stretch in recent games.
Booker is shooting 7-of-23 in the fourth during this five-game skid, going 1-of-6 on 3s.
He’s committed six turnovers, generated just four assists and has a minus-21.
Yes, Booker could use more help, but he must be better, particularly in the fourth, if the Suns are going to turn this season around, especially without several guys.
Stick with four-guard lineup?
The Suns are perimeter driven outside of 7-footers Khaman Maluach, Williams and the 6-10 Ighodaro.
They’re down, Williams, who is now walking around without the boot.
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He could return later this month, but the Suns are a small team even with a healthy roster.
Down six players, they’re even smaller.
That’s largely led Ott to start four guards in Collin Gillespie, Goodwin, Booker and Green along with Ighodaro.
That’s just not big enough.
The Bucks sent just one player to crash the offensive glass, and backup big Jericho Sims safely landed with eight offensive rebounds.
Goodwin plays bigger than his 6-3 size, gets the Suns extra possessions with offensive rebounds and hits clutch shots.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott claps for his team against the Bucks during a game at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, on March 21, 2026.
His 3 pulled Phoenix within one, 105-104, with 1:08 left, but the Suns could use more size on the floor.
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They have bigger starting options in Ryan Dunn and rookie Rasheer Fleming.
Both were solid on Saturday.
Dunn posted 12 points and eight rebounds, and Fleming scored eight points.
They sure could use the 6-8 O’Neale, who missed just his second game of the season.
If he’s not available, curious if Ott sticks with a four-guard lineup.
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns fail to close again, suffer season-high 5th straight loss