LeBron James and the Lakers walked out of Phoenix with a hard-fought 116-114 win on Sunday night - and thanks to the NBA’s Last Two Minute Report, James also walked away with some vindication in his ongoing back-and-forth with Dillon Brooks.
With under a minute to play and the Suns surging, Brooks buried a clutch three-pointer over James to give Phoenix a brief lead. But the moment didn’t end there.
Brooks believed he’d drawn a foul on the shot - claiming James made illegal contact - and let the officials know about it. That led to a heated exchange with LeBron and ultimately earned Brooks his second technical of the night, resulting in an ejection.
But according to the league’s official review, the referees got it right. The NBA’s L2M (Last Two Minute) report confirmed that James’ contact wasn’t enough to warrant a foul. In fact, the league noted that Brooks had extended his legs unnaturally in an attempt to draw the whistle - a tactic that’s been under increased scrutiny in recent seasons.
So, no foul. Just a technical. And just like that, LeBron got the last word - not with a quote, but with the scoreboard and the league’s backing.
The game itself was a rollercoaster. The Lakers looked to be in control, leading 111-97 with under four minutes to go.
But the Suns came storming back with a 12-0 run, flipping the momentum and briefly taking the lead. It took some late-game poise from the Lakers - including clutch free throws from James and Marcus Smart - to close things out on the road.
And that’s where this game was really won: the little things. Free throws and rebounding.
The Lakers dominated both categories, hitting 33 of their 43 attempts from the stripe and pulling down 54 boards. The Suns, by comparison, went 21-for-25 at the line and grabbed just 37 rebounds.
The L2M report says this was the correct no call on LeBron James, as Dillon Brooks extended his legs to try and draw a foul.
— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) December 15, 2025
This play led to Dillon Brooks’ ejection as a result of a technical foul.
pic.twitter.com/81y2cXqlCj https://t.co/VJ1f9pQOdb
In a two-point game, those margins matter.
LeBron led the way with a well-rounded performance: 26 points, four assists, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. He shot 8-of-17 from the field and 9-of-14 from the line - not his most efficient night from deep (1-for-5), but he did the damage where it counted.
Luka Doncic paced the Lakers with 29 points and six assists, continuing his strong run. Deandre Ayton turned in a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds, while Jaxson Hayes added 12 points and nine boards off the bench - a quietly impactful showing.
With the win, Los Angeles improves to 18-7 on the season, good for fourth in the Western Conference. They’re neck-and-neck with the Spurs and still chasing the Rockets and Nuggets at the top of the standings.
Next up: a trip to Utah, where they’ll face the Jazz on December 18 at 9 p.m. ET. If Sunday night was any indication, this team is learning how to win the tough ones - and that could make all the difference as the season grinds on.