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Bucks seek rare road win against Suns

Jan 8, 2012 - 3:48 PM (Sports Network) - Ronald Reagan was in his second term as President of the United States the last time the Milwaukee Bucks prevailed in Phoenix.

Bucks head coach Scott Skiles was also a rookie in the NBA when the franchise last topped the Suns in the desert back on Feb. 21, 1987 in a 115-107 victory. The Bucks have since lost 23 straight games in the Valley of the Sun and hope to put that skid to rest when the two teams clash Sunday at US Airways Center.

The Bucks have lost 35 of the last 40 overall matchups with Phoenix and are still searching for their first road win of the season (0-5). They haven't dropped six straight road games to start a campaign since an 0-7 ledger as the guest in 2004-05. Milwaukee will close out a five-game swing tonight and is coming off Saturday's 92-86 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Brandon Jennings had 21 points, while Drew Gooden tallied 18 with 13 boards for the Bucks, losers of four in a row. Stephen Jackson also scored 18 points in a losing effort.

"Midway through the third quarter, they got into us," Skiles said. "We're not playing well enough to win. Guys are playing hard, but our attention level needs improvement."

Milwaukee continued to toil without center Andrew Bogut as he is currently dealing with personal issues. A timetable for his return is unknown. Bogut has missed the Bucks' entire road trip. Forwards Mike Dunleavy (groin) and Luc Mbah a Moute (knee) and guard Beno Udrih (shoulder) all missed last night's game and hope to contribute against the Suns.

Phoenix has alternated wins and losses over its last six games and will shoot for its third straight victory at home. It is coming off Friday's 102-77 blowout of the Portland Trail Blazers in which Steve Nash posted 17 points and handed out nine assists. Nash went 7-for-7 from the field and was one of six Suns in double-figures.

Jared Dudley had a game-high 18 points, while Shannon Brown had 14 for the Suns, who shot a season-high 46.8 percent from the field and are in the midst of playing two straight and four of five games in the desert.

"We had a great start," said Suns coach Alvin Gentry. "I thought we did a good job offensively of getting out and running early and we also made some shots. But I think more than anything we did a great job of defending."

The Suns' 23-game winning streak against Milwaukee is the second-longest active streak in the NBA behind San Antonio's 27 straight home wins against the Golden State Warriors. A victory for Phoenix tonight would equal the franchise's longest home streak against an opponent, matching a 24-game win streak against the Sacramento Kings from 1988-98.

That could happen since Phoenix is allowing just 91.3 points this season, the fewest in team annals. Nash is averaging 17.7 points and 10.0 assists in his last three contests.