Taunting. Heated altercations. Ejections. These are just some of the actions fans witness every time the Los Angeles Lakers face a physical team like the Phoenix Suns. Well, nothing seems to have changed in their second matchup this season, after a thrilling back-and-forth exchange late in the game between the two Western Conference teams on Monday. However, it wasn’t just the Suns’ impressive 20-point comeback that made the headlines. In fact, it was the intense competition between two long-time rivals, LeBron James and Dillon Brooks—a rivalry so memorable it always broke the internet.
Lakers Narrowly Avoid Late-Game Collapse, Thanks to LBJ’s Clutch Free Throws
Their second meeting of the season seemed like a revenge game after a blowout 125-106 loss against the Suns in Dillon Brooks’ 33-point outburst earlier in December. In the first few minutes of the final period, the Lakers were up big, 99-79, and looked like they were locked in for the win. However, Phoenix rallied at home behind Devin Booker’s 27 points, Mark Williams’ 20 points, and Brooks getting 18 of his own.
After completing an epic comeback and taking the lead with 12 seconds left to play (114-113), Brooks was so hyped that he purposely bumped into James, which was later on ruled out as his second technical foul, resulting in an automatic ejection. Brooks, like the instigator he’s known for, has been jawing at The King since tip-off. Unfortunately for him, his antics backfired and resulted in the 23-year veteran making a series of game-winning plays, including two clutch free throws to secure the dub, 116-114.
LeBron James finished the game with 26 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, while Deandre Ayton had himself a 20-point, 13-rebound double-double. The biggest contributor from the purple and gold was Luka Doncic, who recorded a game-high 29 points despite only making 2 out of 14 attempts from long range.
James and Brooks have been getting on each other’s nerves since 2022. While the 4-time MVP almost always dominates their matchup and that Brooks isn’t on LeBron’s level, it’s still an exciting moment to watch, especially how surreal it feels. They’re going to meet again in the future, and it sure will be another rigorous duel between two extremely competitive rivals.
Dillon Brooks’ Surprising 2025-2026 Campaign
Brooks has always been the type of player who is recognized as the NBA’s heel, or as fans would like to call him, the league’s best antagonist. LeBron is just one of Brooks’ victims as the 29-year-old forward loves the smell of competition, even dating back to his Grizzlies days. He’s the kind of player you want on your team, but would hate to face as an opponent.
Although he’s mostly known as a scrapper and enforcer, Brooks seems like a different beast this season. The former 45th pick in the 2017 draft is averaging a career-high 21.6 points per game in year nine. His shooting percentage is also at a career-best 44.9% despite having more usage in Phoenix. Brooks has been undeniably one of the key pieces of the Suns, the team that has surprised the league after rallying in the West despite their stars’ injury issues. While it’s just fitting to call Brooks a villain, there’s no doubt that he’s been playing like an All-Star this season, trying to keep the Suns afloat. That being said, he deserves to be recognized sooner or later.
