Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (left) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right)
Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks (left) and Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (right)
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were on the road on Sunday night to face the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center. A showdown against the Suns only meant that James would face a familiar foe in Dillon Brooks, who has been a known rival for the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
James and Brooks got into it when these two teams faced off earlier this month. The pair were jawing at each other all game long, and it resulted in another heated matchup between the two. Brooks, however, was able to lead Phoenix to a 125-108 win with 33 points, and he had some choice words for James after the game.
James and Brooks got heated again on Sunday, and it’s the Lakers superstar who is now bracing for a punishment from the NBA for his actions.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
After the Suns took down the Lakers on Dec. 1, Brooks did not hold back on James during the former’s postgame press conference. He accused the 21-time All-Star of wanting others to “bow down” to him. “I don’t bow down. So, that either entices him or it aggravates him — either-or,” Brooks said.
In Sunday’s game, James lost his temper after Brooks slapped the ball toward him. The Lakers star confronted Brooks, who slyly walked away after a brief exchange. The referees quickly intervened, but James could be seen angrily arguing with a game official. The 40-year-old got hit with a technical foul for his outburst.
The league will punish James for his actions here. According to the NBA rulebook, a technical foul warrants an automatic fine of at least $2,000. This is James’ first technical foul of the season.
The good news for James and Co. is that they escaped with a tightly contested win over the Suns. It was James (26 points, three rebounds, four assists) who closed out the game with two game-winning free throws with 3.0 seconds remaining. L.A. won, 115-114, to improve to 18-7 on the season.