Dillon Brooks is already leaning into the temperature of tonight’s Suns-Rockets matchup.
The Phoenix forward said he expects the game to carry extra edge when the Suns meet Houston, his former team, and Kevin Durant after the social media back-and-forth that flared up last month between Durant and Suns owner Mat Ishbia.
“For sure. I think there’s juice already, because he didn’t play the first game back in Phoenix,” Brooks said (via The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin).
“So, yeah, it’s going to be a good game. I love playing (against) my old teams.
It brings a certain fire out of me.”
The exchange started when Durant reacted on X to a CNBC interview in which Ishbia said of trading for Durant: “I kind of just threw money at the problem... Bringing in super talented players like Kevin Durant doesn’t necessarily lead to championships.”
Durant’s response was pointed: “#blameKD even though KD stayed on top of his game at 36 and got u back this “culture” you love so much. Aye, Matthew acts like I got arrested for a DUI or sumn. Back to threads 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂”
That line seemed to land as a shot at Brooks, who was arrested on suspicion of DUI in March. Brooks answered with an Instagram story of his own.
“Thanks (Mat) for cleaning up that stench in the locker room before I came #culture,” Brooks posted.
Brooks said he felt compelled to respond because Durant’s post crossed a line by bringing someone else into the exchange.
“If you got beef or you want to have a conversation with somebody in particular, don’t bring up nobody else. You know what I’m saying?”
Brooks said. “And that just goes to show the little fake accounts and all that (expletive), talking back and forth, and blah, blah, blah.
So, I’d rather do it on my real account.”
“Even though I don’t have a fake account. I’m going to do it on my real account. And you’re gonna throw some subliminals, I’m gonna throw subliminals back.”
Brooks, who came to Phoenix as part of the package the Suns (2-5) received from Houston (7-2) in the Durant deal last summer, has never been shy about bringing an edge. Against former teams, that edge usually shows up even more.
Now he says the Durant comments only sharpened it further.
“For me, I’m not laying down to nobody saying nothing, especially a player,” Brooks said. “Media is one thing.
A player speaking on my name, about something that happened to me. I wouldn’t speak on him if it happened to him as well.
Anyways, it’s just going to build the juice up and I can’t wait.”
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