Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis Jr. had a strong message for his detractors following a stellar performance in their victory against the star-studded Phoenix Suns on Sunday, March 17.

The 29-year-old concluded the evening with an impressive 31 points on 13-of-20 shooting, alongside ten rebounds, two assists, and three steals as the Bucks secured a 140-129 victory at home over the Suns, despite the absence of star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo.

"I be in my own zone, man. Try to block out all the naysayers. They been talking crazy about me all year long, trade him, all type of stuff. So I get in my own zone when I'm on the court, I'm just like that, man," Portis said in the post-game interview at the Fiserv Forum.

Bucks star forward Khris Middleton made a productive return after missing 16 straight games with an ankle injury. He contributed 22 points, seven assists, three rebounds, and one steal across 25 minutes of play.

Kevin Durant has a rare off-night

The Suns' most notable missing link was star forward Kevin Durant, who had a rare off night in Milwaukee.

The two-time NBA Finals MVP managed only 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting, although he contributed nine rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocks.

Nonetheless, his scoring output fell far short of his 27.8 points per game average in the ongoing 2023-24 season, which ranks fourth in the league.