With their 104-98 win on Monday night, the Los Angeles Lakers prevented the Houston Rockets from clinching a spot in the Western Conference playoffs - for now.
LeBron James slammed the door shut with 11.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, following two clutch free throws with an unbelievable block on Houston's Alperen Sengun to keep the Lakers' lead at 102-98.
While the block by James stole the headlines, the talk of social media throughout the game and well into the night surrounded his matchup with Rockets forward Dillon Brooks.
The longtime rivals went back-and-forth all game, prompting the pesky Brooks to resort to an unusual style of defense that drew lots of attention.
Brooks and James have history. When the Memphis Grizzlies played the Lakers in the first round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs, Brooks was ejected for a Flagrant 2 foul on James for hitting him below the belt.
The next game, James helped the Lakers complete a sweep of the Grizzlies with a clutch basket while Brooks guarded him. Afterward, he made a famous post on Instagram captioned, "If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR."
It was more belt-area action from Brooks that caused a stir during Monday's Lakers-Rockets game. Take a look at the video below.
Dillon Brooks ALL OVER LeBron man
(via @ladeig) pic.twitter.com/mvbmSlr2uh
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 1, 2025
"He's taking it too far man," said a reply on X.
"DB a FREAK!" said another.
that's harassment
— ansel freetag (@anseltzy) April 1, 2025
"Brooks lives for any chance he can get on the spotlight with Bron," said one fan.
"Is what he meant by poking bears?" joked a reply, referring to Brooks' famous quote about James in 2023.
Classic Dillon Brooks on his confrontation with LeBron James: "I don't care. He's old. … I poke bears. I don't respect someone until he gives me 40."
And Brooks had plenty more to say. pic.twitter.com/uWLONrubPZ
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 20, 2023
Brooks' defense may have been unconventional, but it also earned praise for forcing a turnover from the NBA's all-time leading scorer on the play.
Brooks' offense, on the other hand, played a part in the Rockets' downfall. He finished 5-for-14 from the field, attempting to play hero ball down the stretch and missing a critical free throw in the final minute of the game.
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This story was originally published March 31, 2025 at 11:43 PM.