The Brothers Lopii
The Bucks’ all-Lopez brothers center rotation has been a fixture throughout their season and the duo’s importance has only grown, especially as Robin’s found his footing within the Bucks’ system.
Starting with Brook Lopez, the one-time All-Star had a fine, albeit quiet night, offensively where he scored 10 points on six shots (1-of-3 from deep, 3-for-4 from the free throw line), though he did have a remarkable left-handed scoop finish out of the post as he continued to draw a foul call that never came.
Yet it was his work on the defensive end that was extraordinary as it has been all season long. Swatting away seven blocks, which matched his season-high, Brook was all-enforcing when protecting the rim, and made second-year Spurs guard Lonnie Walker IV a favorite target of his to send away at the basket.
Switching over to Robin Lopez, the younger twin continues to find his comfort zone with the Bucks. That’s certainly the case on offense where Lopez has now scored in double figures in five of his last seven appearances. And the trusty righty hook he uses to deploy over his matchups continue to be an effective weapon. In over 19 minutes of burn, Robin finished with 14 points on 10 shots, five rebounds and a block and was a +10.
And as a result of the duo’s patrolling of the paint, the Bucks limited the Spurs to 26 points in the paint, matching the lowest mark Milwaukee has allowed to an opponent this season.
Even with taking account of Brook’s shooting struggles this year, the brothers Lopii have managed to fortify the Bucks’ center rotation in all sorts of ways and that connection continues to bear out on the court. Whether the two will publicly admit it or not.