Markieff Morris scores 26 in Suns' 102-96 win over Bucks

MILWAUKEE -- Markieff Morris scored 26 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 102-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.

Isaiah Thomas added 19 and Goran Dragic 16 for the Suns, who have scored a 100 or more points for the nine straight games.

Brandon Knight scored 26 and Giannis Antetokounmpo added 16 for the Bucks, who lost their fourth straight at home.

The Suns have won nine of the last 11 and opened the four-game road trip with their third consecutive victory. They also upped their record to 8-1 over Eastern Conference opponents.

After three leads changes and a tie to start the fourth quarter, the Suns went ahead for good when Markieff Morris kept an offensive rebound alive and tipped it in and Marcus Morris converted a three-point play for an 81-76 lead early in the quarter.

Phoenix capitalized on Milwaukee's poor shooting to cling to a lead that never topped seven points. The Bucks made nine of 27 shots in the quarter.

Khris Middleton's 3 with 1:49 left pulled the Bucks to 94-92, but the Suns pulled away on a jumper by Goran Dragic, a 3-pointer by Markieff Morris and a free throw from Thomas.

Antetokounmpo and Knight put some energy back in the Bucks' offense when each dunked during a 12-4 surge that puts Milwaukee back in the lead 62-58 with 4:44 left in the third quarter. The Bucks made 10 of 25 shots in the quarter and clung to a one-point lead heading into the fourth. The Suns weren't much better, sinking 11 of 23 from the floor.

The Suns have won seven of eight road games against the Eastern Conference this season and five in a row overall.

TIP-INS

Phoenix had 15 points in the first quarter, just four better than their season-low of 11 for that period set Oct. 31 against San Antonio. . Thomas came off the bench to score 13 points in the first half, one better than all Bucks reserves. . PJ Tucker missed all four of his shots in the first half, but his first basket of the third gave Phoenix a 45-44 lead.

Bucks: Center Larry Sanders missed his seventh straight game. He was originally out with the flu, but now it's for personal reasons. He was at the game, though, dressed in a dark suit, sitting at the end of the bench. . Khris Middleton picked up an inadvertent technical late in the first quarter. With play stopped under the Suns' basket, he spiked the ball while walking away from referee Eric Dalen. When Middleton failed to catch it, Dalen called the foul.

UP NEXT

Suns: at Minnesota on Wednesday night.

Bucks: at Philadelphia on Wednesday night.