PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks was simultaneously regretful that he could not finish Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers after an ejection and critical of both certain calls and LeBron James.
Brooks drained a go-ahead 3-pointer in the final minute, hitting the deck after making contact with James. No foul was called, Brooks chest-bumped James and was hit with his second technical foul. The Lakers won the game on James free throws after getting fouled by Devin Booker on a 3-point attempt in the final three seconds.
James and Brooks battled and jawed back and forth throughout the entire game, each picking up technical fouls earlier. It was the latest showcase of a rivalry that really came to light during the 2022-23 playoffs, when then-Grizzlies player Brooks called James old and said he “pokes bears.”
“He’s a social media junkie, all over the socials, so he be seeing I guess what I’m saying,” Brooks said. “He thinks that people should think a way about him and not say nothing about him or play a certain way. I’m not going to play that way. So he gets in his moods or in his modes or whatever it is, and I’m all for that. I wish we let him shoot that shot. That (expletive) would have been an airball.”
The next phase of the rivalry is less than a week away on Tuesday in Phoenix.
Dillon Brooks spoke on a great many things today: The end of the Lakers game, the foul calls and LeBron James.
"He thinks that people should think a way about him … I'm not going to play that way. Gets in his moods or in his modes or whatever it is. I'm all for that. I wish we… pic.twitter.com/veOLq1vFuK
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) December 17, 2025
Brooks said he moved on quickly after getting ejected, noting he does not have social media and is programmed to focus on what’s new.
Head coach Jordan Ott stood behind Brooks after the two techs, addressing the energy and passion he brings to a given game. At practice, Ott called Brooks an emotional and fiery competitor, saying he had no issues with those traits.
“Because he knows I’ll learn from my mistakes,” Brooks said. “I’m in this facility every day, so I’m gonna get it right. I’ll find the way to channel the emotion properly. … That’s my problem with my whole career is that I let those things happen and then I’m off the floor. At the end of the day, how much people hate on me and say that I’m not a good player and all that, but when I’m on the floor, it changes the whole game.”
Brooks said he was “out of my body a little bit” during the situation late in the game, explaining he did not realize there was a timeout and wanted to be aggressive. He was critical of when certain calls are made and others are let go, especially in a physical game game Sunday’s.
“It goes back to the rule I never heard of, that when there’s bumping and stuff like in every single game there is, they pick and choose if there’s a technical foul or not,” Brooks said. “You go to every single game, when there’s timeouts and guys are bumping each other, it’s pick and choose, but it’s just me.”
Dillon Brooks’ Suns teammates comment on the end of Lakers game
The Suns and Lakers were tied 62-62 at halftime, but the Lakers went on a 24-0 run to jump ahead 95-77 with 9:30 left in the game. Phoenix raced back to take the lead on Brooks’ shot.
The Final Two Minute Report deemed each call the officials made in the final minute of the game to be correct, including the non-call on James against Brooks. The report said Brooks initiated the contact, to which Brooks responded that it should have been an offensive foul and not a non-call then.
The fourth quarter was a trip, ending with a whistle-filled, review-interrupted final minute.
“Chaotic, crazy, everything in between,” center Mark Williams said. “It’s tough. There was easily like eight reviews, flow of the game got choppy, stuff you just can’t control really. That’s a whole separate conversation, but I think we shouldn’t have put ourselves in that position. … The bright side is you play them again, so I’m looking forward to that.”
Wing Royce O’Neale added: “ I think those situations are tough, especially for the foul that Book got called. Tough situation, I think in those situations maybe not to reach, just put our hands up. You never know how they gonna call it if they let it go. Usually they say the hand is part of the ball. It’s tough call.”
The Suns have not played a game since, as their next action comes on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. They play two straight games against the Warriors before taking on the Lakers again.