Dillon Brooks, once again, lit the flame and enjoyed every moment. The Phoenix Suns player unleashed his best version against the Los Angeles Lakers, scoring 33 points in a resounding 125-108 victory on Monday night. However, beyond his outstanding scoring performance, the most striking thing was his behavior on the court, especially in a scenario that has become his favorite. Since the first round of the 2023 playoffs, Brooks has been the center of attention at Crypto.com Arena. Back then, he sparked controversy by declaring “I poke the bears” and referring to LeBron James as “old” after the Memphis Grizzlies’ victory. In Monday’s game, Brooks not only scored points, but also dedicated himself to provoking the fans and James. His constant provocations and celebrations, similar to those of James himself, generated mixed reactions.
Brooks’ attitude, with his gestures and challenges, seemed to irritate James, who reacted from the bench. Brooks, 29 years old, was pleased to generate this reaction in the 40-year-old player.I love playing in this stadium. They show me a lot of affection here, and I return it.
Dillon Brooks
This energy and attitude of Brooks seem to inspire the Suns, who have had a good start to the season with a 13-9 record, a notable improvement over the previous season.He likes people who give up. I don’t give up. So, either that attracts him or it bothers him, either way.
Dillon Brooks
The Suns secured the victory despite Devin Booker’s departure due to a right groin injury. Furthermore, they broke the Lakers’ seven-game winning streak. James, for his part, only scored 10 points, barely extending his record of 1,297 consecutive regular season games scoring in double figures.Sometimes, I try to tell him to calm down, but I think he just turns it off. That’s Dillon Brooks. That fuels us. Obviously, we love it when he’s on.
Collin Gillespie
Brooks scored 23 points in the first half, including 15 in the second quarter, which helped the Suns take a 14-point lead at halftime. At one point, he made 10 of 11 field goals, exchanging words with the fans near the court on several occasions.He is the ultimate competitor. He has talked a lot about returning to this building. He had a tough playoffs a couple of years ago. This means something different to him. We feel it as a group. This means something different to him, so we obviously follow his lead.
Jordan Ott
Brooks finished with 15 of 26 field goals and averages 22.3 points per game, the best mark of his career. Brooks’ name was not mentioned during James’ post-game press conference. However, it is not difficult to discern what James feels about Brooks. After the Lakers cleared the bench in the final quarter, Brooks faced Bronny James and was sanctioned for a foul before attempting a jump shot. The television broadcast showed Bronny’s father on the Lakers’ bench, while LeBron raised his right hand above his head with his thumb down.They wanted me to keep shooting, so I kept shooting.
Dillon Brooks
