4 Studs and 2 duds from the Milwaukee Bucks' convincing win over Phoenix Suns

Dud - Brook Lopez

It feels harsh to have Brook Lopez as a dud because it wasn't necessarily a poor performance from him; it just wasn't a game or matchup that really suited him.He finished the game with 10 points, seven rebounds and three assists with a block and a steal in just 18 minutes - he has averaged 31 minutes per contest this season.

As I say, the game really wasn't suited for him with the Suns having Jusuf Nurkic play just 20 minutes and Drew Eubanks play just five as both teams went with the small ball approach of Portis and Royce O'Neale spending time at the center position. With this being the case, it made sense for him to play less due to him struggling against smaller players defensively, so Portis was better suited to that role along with him being on fire.

Lopez was one of just two Bucks with a negative plus-minus, and it was only at -4, so it wasn't all too bad. This links back to the importance of Portis and how the Bucks need to get the best out of Lopez and his ability to be great defensively in the paint and hit shots from deep. Portis is going to be needed at times in the playoffs if the matchup sees Lopez being ineffective due to the opposition's lineup, so it will be something Rivers is clearly aware of.

I don't think it was a bad performance for Lopez. It just wasn't a game where the Bucks could really get the best out of him, and with Portis playing so well, it made sense to keep going to him, which kept Lopez on the bench.