The 45-year-old Porter carved out an unlikely 17-year playing career in the NBA after coming out of Division III Wisconsin-Stevens Point in 1985. He was named the eighth coach in Bucks' history before the 2003-04 season, leading Milwaukee into the playoffs and guiding a club that finished as the highest-scoring team in the Eastern Conference with 98.0 points per game.

The next season, though, Milwaukee went 30-52 and Porter was fired with one year left on his contract. The Bucks attempted to hire Flip Saunders or Nate McMillan, but were forced to settle for Terry Stotts.

Porter remains a popular figure in Wisconsin, and his experience with the Bucks was a major reason he was hired by Phoenix (4-2) to replace Mike D'Antoni.

"I think it's very important also that he's sat in that chair with Milwaukee for a couple of years," said Phoenix general manager Steve Kerr, a teammate of Porter's with San Antonio from 1999-2001.

Ironically, new Bucks coach Scott Skiles' first head coaching job was with Phoenix from 1999-2002.

Redd missed his second straight game with a sprained right ankle as Milwaukee (3-3) lost 101-89 at Boston on Friday. He was replaced in the lineup by Charlie Bell, who scored five points in his second start of the season. Redd is listed as day-to-day.

The Suns expect to have Shaquille O'Neal available after Porter rested the center in Friday's 100-83 loss at Chicago as part of a plan to give him some time off. Porter will play O'Neal on Saturday partly because Bucks center Andrew Bogut averaged 24.0 points and 12.0 rebounds in last season's two meetings against Phoenix.

"Most likely he (O'Neal) probably will play, in that type of scenario when they have a post presence," Porter said. "And historically Bogut has hurt the Phoenix Suns in the last few years so we will definitely try to play him (Saturday)."

The Suns appeared to miss O'Neal's presence in the middle on Friday as they were outrebounded, 47-33 in suffering their first road loss. Phoenix also shot a season-low 40.6 percent (28-of-69) from the field.

"They did a good job dominating us on the boards," Porter said. "In the first half they got 21 points off of turnovers and their offensive boards. That became a big hill for us to climb."

Milwaukee, meanwhile, built an early 11-point lead against the Celtics before failing in its bid for a third straight win. Richard Jefferson scored 20 to lead the Bucks, who committed a season-high 22 turnovers.

"It's easy to say, 'keep your head up, keep playing,'" Skiles said. "But when you have that many turnovers in a pro game against a club like that, the odds are long that you'll be able to overcome that."

The Bucks have lost four straight meetings with the Suns, who have made 11 3-pointers in every game in that stretch.