Dillon Brooks was in full antagonist mode Monday night at Crypto.com Arena, and this time, he backed it up with one of his most complete performances of the season. The Suns forward poured in 33 points on 15-of-25 shooting through three quarters, igniting Phoenix’s offense after Devin Booker exited early with a groin injury. With Booker sidelined, Brooks didn’t just step up-he took over.
Dillon Brooks doing the LeBron shoulder shrug. 🤣
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) December 2, 2025
(h/t @ridiculouscage)
pic.twitter.com/ztSxIQ7iwB
But of course, with Brooks, it’s never just about the stat line.
From the jump, he was in the Lakers’ heads, playing his familiar role as the league’s most unapologetic agitator. Late in the first half, Brooks found himself on the receiving end of a fast-break outlet pass as Luka Dončić and LeBron James scrambled to recover.
James lunged to break up the play, but Brooks beat him to the rim for an easy dunk. That’s when the theatrics kicked in.
Brooks turned to the crowd and threw up an exaggerated shoulder shrug, arms waving wildly-an unmistakable nod to one of LeBron’s own signature celebrations. It was a moment of pure gamesmanship, and LeBron didn’t let it slide. During the next timeout, James had words for Brooks and the Suns bench, needing to be pulled away by teammates as tensions simmered.
But Brooks wasn’t done stirring the pot. In the third quarter, he walked up to Dončić after a made free throw and offered a high five.
LeBron James’ teammates had to come up get him as he was continuing to to talk to Dillon Brooks and the Suns bench during that timeout. pic.twitter.com/VofPXNyYK5
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) December 2, 2025
Dončić tried to pull his hand away, but not before Brooks made the connection-just long enough to get under the Mavericks star’s skin. It was classic Brooks: relentless, disruptive, and always looking for that psychological edge.
Still, beyond the antics, the real story was his offensive explosion. With Booker out, the Suns needed someone to carry the scoring load, and Brooks answered in a big way.
He attacked mismatches, hit tough mid-range shots, and found his rhythm early. Whether it was isolations, transition buckets, or catch-and-shoot threes, Brooks had it all working.
Dillon Brooks high fived Luka after hitting a free throw 😂 pic.twitter.com/qEr1EQMvNs
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 2, 2025
By the end of the third quarter, Phoenix had built a comfortable lead over L.A., and Brooks had firmly established himself as the night’s tone-setter-both in the box score and between the ears of the Lakers’ stars.
Love him or loathe him, Dillon Brooks knows exactly who he is. And on Monday night, he reminded everyone why he’s one of the most polarizing-and impactful-players in the league.