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

The Milwaukee Bucks made it back-to-back wins following their West Coast trip with an impressive 140-129 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

One surprising storyline around this game was the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who was ruled out just before the game. Thankfully, it appeatrs it is not too serious. The other big news was the return of Khris Middleton for the first time since early February, and he went straight into the starting lineup.

Phoenix came into this game fully healthy with their star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal all starting. It was a high scoring affair, and Milwaukee managed to hold strong defensively against the Suns' stars, forcing the role players to step up and score.

Beal led the Suns with 28 points, and former Buck Grayson Allen had a great game, having scored 25 points. Booker was held to 23 points on 50 percent shooting on 22 shots, while Durant didn't seem to stamp his authority on the game, finishing with just 11 points.

The Milwaukee Bucks got a huge win over the Phoenix Suns

This win will give the Bucks huge amounts of confidence down the stretch with Giannis out and still playing decent defensive against elite scorers. Damian Lillard led the Bucks with 38 minutes and Jae Crowder was the only other player to play over 30. For Phoenix, however, Booker and Durant both played 40 minutes, and Beal and Allen played at least 37, so Milwaukee was able to force those guys to stay out on the court but hold onto the lead.

As a team, Milwaukee hit 54.3 percent of their shots and hit a brilliant 58 percent from deep. It was a great 43-24 second quarter in the Bucks' favor, which really gave them ascendancy and despite runs from the Suns in the second half, Milwaukee held strong. They also tied an NBA record 18 three pointers in a half.

With the round-up out of the way, let's take a look at the many studs and few duds (very loosely) from the Bucks' compelling win over the Phoenix Suns.

Stud - Damian Lillard

Similarly to the Bucks' win over the LA Clippers a few weeks back, Lillard was expected to take the lead with Giannis out, and once again he did just that. The guard has stated he has found it tough at times in Milwaukee with it being the first time in his career he has had another star alongside him. This game he showed what he can do when he takes on the lead role in the offense.

He finished the game with 31 points on 52.6 percent shooting and hit four of his eight shots from beyond the arc. Add to that four rebounds and 16 assists and Dame made Milwaukee Bucks history as the first Buck to score 30-plus points and 15-plus assists in a game.

Defensively, he has stepped up recently, and he held strong in this one. On multiple occasions, he found himself diving on the floor in an attempt to force a turnover. His highlight of the game was a huge buzzer beater three at the end of the third quarter that squashed the Suns' run and had the Bucks up by 15 heading into the final quarter.

It was a superb team performance, and Lillard led by example. That was what the Bucks needed in a really tough game following the West Coast trip that saw them take a couple heavy defeats. With Middleton back, the Bucks will be a real threat with Giannis playing at an MVP level and Lillard continuing to put in these kinds of stellar performances.

Stud - Bobby Portis

The Mayor of Milwaukee. The Sixth Man of the Year. BOBBY BOBBY BOBBY! These were just a few things I was saying as I watched this game from the comfort of my own home. Bobby Portis was unbelievable. It was interesting to see that he didn't start with Giannis out, but that didn't stop him. He finished the game with 31 points, 10 rebounds, two assists and three steals on 65 percent shooting, hitting all five of his shots from deep.

He entered the game in the first and was lights out. He really got the Bucks' offense rolling and out to an early lead that was too much for the Suns. In the first quarter, he was perfect and had 12 points. The second quarter saw him get up to 19 points in just seven minutes on the floor. At the half, he had 25 points in just 10 minutes on the court. Back-to-back threes just showed he was really in his groove.

This was the second time this season he notched over 30 points, and it was just an all round great performance, as shown with the steals and his ability to lead the game in scoring alongside Lillard. He was in rumors of being traded before the deadline, but he has really stepped in since then and shown why he is such a valuable piece for the Bucks.

Since the All-Star break, he is averaging 15.4 points and 7.7 rebounds. Those stats may drop slightly with the return of Middleton, but he is key for the Bucks down the stretch and into the postseason as the sixth man. If one of the five starters is struggling, he needs to be there to take up some of the slack and bring that energy off the bench.

Stud - Khris Middleton

It was a very impressive return to the court for Khris Middleton and he played as if he hadn't missed any time. He finished the game with 22 points, seven assists, three rebounds on 53 percent shooting and 50 percent from deep. Doc Rivers played him for 25 minutes which is a good return for someone playign their first game in over a month.

The Bucks first score of the game came from Middleton through a pullup three and from there he didn't look back. Middleton was slowly eased into the game with him only playing five minutes in the first quarter but it became clear that he had a calming effect on the Bucks. His shot creating ability at all levels we know is stellar but I think his ability to just stay calm and continue doing his thing at his pace goes unnoticed and it has an effect on other guys on the team when they know he brings another dimension to the offense.

As a tandem, he and Giannis have always made a great duo and forever complemented each other. Yet, Portis really showed his ability to just play at ease without him, and with Lillard, they had a great partnership.

At full strength, the Bucks have one of the best starting fives in the league. For games down the stretch, they can go to Giannis down low in the paint but also have two guys who can score from anywhere and have been closers at the highest and most pressurising points in an NBA season.

Down the stretch, I think we will see Middleton continue to play around 25 minutes per game and work towards being ready for the postseason as he hits the 30 to 35 minute mark. Doc Rivers will be cautious with it, and we may see him miss some games, but if he's healthy for the playoffs, the Bucks are a serious threat to win it all.

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.

Stud - Jae Crowder

This was Jae Crowder's second-highest scoring performance of the season, and he was integral on both ends of the court in this victory. He found himself mostly given the Kevin Durant assignment, and to hold him to 11 points while outscoring him is a testament to his performance.

Crowder finished the game with 18 points on 63.6 percent shooting and hit four of his six attempts from three. It was clear from the lead of Lillard and Portis' performance that the energy and quality was rubbing off on the rest of the team. This was one of Cowder's best performances in a Bucks jersey yet.

This was Durant's lowest scoring performance of the season, and yes, he registered nine rebounds, but Crowder was key in him only taking 10 shots, three of which were from deep. He hit one of those. If we can continue to see this Crowder in the playoffs defensively, it will make the lives of the other Bucks players so much easier.

With Middleton back, Crowder will be likely to return to the bench, which may see Pat Connaughton or A.J. Green have their minutes lessened, but Crowder will be an important player down the stretch with his defense and ability to hit the shot when it matters.

Dud - Pat Connaughton

I know Connaughton isn't much of a scorer and that his impact tends to be more on the defensive end, but with Middleton's return and Crowder likely to return to the bench, this was a chance for him to show why he should keep the minutes he has. Yet, it was a quiet 22 minutes for him. He finished with just three points, two rebounds and a block. Alongside Lopez, he was the other player with a negative plus-minus rating.

When you look at A.J. Green, who has started to see more minutes under Rivers and has improved his defense, he has more of an offensive impact, and it feels as though Connuaghton may see his role and minutes lessen down the stretch and in the playoffs. In this game, Eric Gordon played 21 minutes off the bench and scored 10 points. I am not comparing the two players ability, but the impact off the bench has to be felt in some regard.

Come the postseason, when teams shorten their rotation to usually an eight-man mix, we may see Connaughton finish games with a DNP. Lillard, Malik Beasley, Middleton, Antetokounmpo and Lopez are the ideal starters, with Portis and Crowder coming off the bench. Patrick Beverley gives you the guard defense and hustle that the Bucks have been thriving off, and Green's ability to shoot from deep at a high clip may see Rivers turn to him before Connaughton.

Overall, it was a brilliant Bucks performance, and to see Middleton back on the court playing so well was a great sign for Milwaukee.

Stay tuned for more Milwaukee Bucks analysis as we head down the final stretch of the regular season.