(My Sportsbook) - The Milwaukee Bucks finished 1-2 on a three-game western swing, but that's the least of their worries at the moment.

Monday against the Phoenix Suns, the Bucks played without starters Ray Allen and Anthony Mason, and Tim Thomas was forced to sit out the second half.

Allen was placed on the injured list prior to the contest with a sprained right ankle he suffered in the second quarter of Saturday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Mason missed his second straight contest after suffering a left hamstring strain in Friday's win at Golden State. Thomas has been bothered by a stiff back for the last two contests, limiting him to 21 minutes Monday.

Injuries never come at a good point, but for the 6-7 Bucks, losers of three of their last four, the timing couldn't be worse.

Milwaukee, the fifth-best scoring team in the NBA, totaled a season-low in points in an 86-81 setback to Suns Monday and shot just 39 percent from the floor.

"It's tough to win that way when you're shorthanded and on the road," Bucks coach George Karl said. "Defensively, you don't complain, but the third quarter kind of sapped our confidence."

Milwaukee totaled just 10 points in the third quarter. Fortunately, the Suns scored just 14 during the frame. Still, the depleted Bucks couldn't mount a strong rally down the stretch.

Allen, the team's leading scorer with a 22-point average, is on crutches and expected to be sidelined for about 10 days. Both Mason and Thomas are listed as day-to-day.

"We were undermanned, but we've got to keep trying," Bucks guard Michael Redd said. "Guys are going to be out. It's really going to be a test for our bench now to step up."

Redd especially will be expected to step up while Allen's out. The guard started in Allen's place Monday and finished with 21 points on 9-of-21 shooting and 11 rebounds in 37 minutes.

For the season, Redd is third on the team with an average of 14.8 points per game while coming off the bench in 11 of 13 contests.

During the next five games, the Bucks play three games on the road and take part in a home-and-home series with Central rival Detroit.