Vols And Milwaukee Bucks: Sends Savage Message to Phoenix Suns After Convincing….

After getting the spot start in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 114-105 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday, Patrick Beverley reverted to his usual bench role on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. Both Khris Middleton and Malik Beasley returned to action on Sunday, which sent Beverley back to the second unit.

The veteran guard finished with three points, two rebounds, four assists, and a steal in 29 minutes of action as he helped the Bucks secure a 140-129 win over Kevin Durant and Co.

 

Patrick Beverley Reacts to Milwaukee Bucks’ Win Over Phoenix

As usual, Beverley had to send a message to their opponents shortly after the final buzzer. The three-time All-Defense guard went full savage on Twitter as he sounded off on Milwaukee’s latest win:

While Beverley did his part in the victory, most of the credit has to go to Damian Lillard for his majestic performance against the Suns. Dame popped off for a massive 31-point, 16-assist double-double to lead a Giannis Antetokounmpo-less side to a big win over Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and the rest of the Suns.

As for Beverley, the Bucks will need his trademark toughness on Wednesday when they return to action. It’s going to be one of the biggest games of the season for Milwaukee as they head to Bean Town to challenge the league-best Boston Celtics.

That’s going to be quite a spectacle as the two top teams in the East go toe to toe in their third of four regular-season matchups.

 

Believe it or not, the Phoenix Suns are slated to have a first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and they could end up selecting one of the stars of the NCAA Tournament which starts this week.

As things currently stand, Phoenix still holds four first rounders between the 2024 and 2030 drafts, although they don’t have sole possession of any.

For 2024, the Suns will take the least favorable first rounder between the Memphis Grizzlies’ pick, the Washington Wizards’ pick and their own. Right now, the least favorable of the three is their own, sitting at No. 19 after the loss on Sunday to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Here are some players who could have a big impact in March Madness before being in play at No. 19 — or wherever the Suns’ pick ends up.

Dalton Knecht, Tennessee, No. 13 on ESPN’s Top 100

Knecht has the best chance to knock off Purdue big man Zach Edey for National Player of the Year with how he’s led Tennessee this season.

The 6-foot-6, 213-pound wing has worked his way up through junior college to low-major Northern Colorado and now to Tennessee where he led the Volunteers to the SEC regular season title.

The fifth-year senior enters the tournament averaging 21.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists on a career best 39.7% on 6.2 3s per game.

First March Madness matchup: No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 15 Saint Peter’s on Thursday at 6:20 p.m. on TNT.

Ryan Dunn, Virginia, No. 20 on The Athletic’s mock draft (to Phoenix at the time)

The 6-foot-8, 216-pound sophomore doesn’t offer a ton offensively, but he may be the best defender in the country, with the toughness to hang with bigger players as well.

Dunn is a career 24% shooter on 3s but is a much better 61.9% on 2s. He also blocks nearly 2.5 shots per game in just 27.6 minutes, including five against Duke a couple weeks ago.

After starring at Millennium High in Goodyear and AZ Compass Prep in Chandler, Holmes has dominated the A-10 for three seasons now, showing a smooth and versatile game that not many bigs have.

This season, Holmes added a 3-point shot and is hitting 38.5% on 2.5 attempts at 6-foot-10. He attempted just 26 over his first two seasons combined. Averaging over 20 points and two blocks per game, he’s poised to take the Flyers on a run.

First March Madness matchup: No. 7 Dayton vs. No. 10 Nevada on Thursday at 1:30 p.m. on TBS.

Phoenix is without a second-round pick in this draft because it was rescinded after the league found the Suns to have tampered in acquiring Drew Eubanks last summer.

They do have to fill out a G League roster for next season though, so general manager James Jones may end up bringing in undrafted rookies, something he hasn’t really done in his tenure.

Here are some players Jones and the Suns could be looking at in the tournament.

Alex Karaban, UConn, No. 50 on ESPN’s Top 100

Shooting is the big draw for this 6-foot-8 redshirt sophomore who shot 39.8% on nearly 350 attempts over the two seasons he played for the Huskies, with a chance to have championship rings in each season.