Michael Jordan famously had his “flu game” in the 1997 NBA Finals and now Dillon Brooks is having a T-shirt game against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.
With the first 5,000 fans receiving “Dillon The Villain” Star Wars-themed shirts, Brooks gave them a show in the first half fitting of his moniker, with 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting.
His lights-out play on the offensive end of the floor at Mortgage Matchup Center contributed to Phoenix Suns grabbing a 72-56 halftime lead over the league’s hottest team.
Brooks made it a career scoring night with 1:54 remaining in the third quarter, hitting both free throws after being fouled on a drive by Pistons’ Ronald Holland II to reach 38 points.
The 6-foot-7 Oregon Duck had been stuck on 37 points since doing so on Dec. 19, 2021 with the Memphis Grizzlies against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Brooks was 2 for 3 from 3-point range and a perfect 6 for 6 from the free-throw line. The forward also added three rebounds, an assist and a steal while only committing a single turnover.
His defense was notably smothering against Detroit star Cade Cunningham late in the second quarter, as Brooks helped force a miss and he eventually grabbed a second-chance shot attempt by Tobias Harris.
He took it the other way and knocked down an 11-foot fading jumper.
T-shirt game?
Suns’ Dillon Brooks scored 24 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the first half on Thursday against the Detroit Pistons, highlighted by a transition fade jumper late in the second quarter.
The first 5,000 fans at the game received “Dillon The Villain” shirts. pic.twitter.com/hMqctSAZJ4
— Arizona Sports (@AZSports) January 30, 2026
His season high was 34 points in a two-point loss to the Atlanta Hawks in November, and he has scored at least 20 points in 23 games. Brooks has eclipsed the 30-point mark four times in 42 games.
Listen to the finish of Suns-Pistons on 98.7 and the Arizona Sports app.