Dillon Brooks Ejected Late vs. Lakers, Reflects on Costly Mistake as Suns Fall Short
The Phoenix Suns had a +12 advantage when Dillon Brooks was on the court during Sunday’s matchup against the Lakers. But with the game hanging in the balance, Brooks was nowhere to be found-ejected in the final seconds after picking up his second technical foul. It was his first ejection since joining the Suns, and it served as a sharp reminder of a lesson he’s still learning deep into his NBA career.
“How to stay in the game and be able to affect the game when I’m in the game,” Brooks said, reflecting on the moment. “That’s my problem through my whole career, is I let those things happen and then I’m off the floor. Then at the end of the day, how much people hate on me and say I’m not a good player and all that, but when I’m on the floor it changes the whole game.”
And he’s not wrong. Brooks had been a difference-maker all night, especially on the defensive end.
His physicality, energy, and willingness to mix it up had helped the Suns keep pace with a Lakers team that’s still trying to find its rhythm. But with just 12 seconds left in a tight fourth quarter, Brooks got into it with LeBron James-again-and this time, it cost him.
After a chest bump on James, officials hit Brooks with his second technical foul, sending him to the locker room and leaving the Suns without one of their most impactful players in crunch time.
This wasn’t the first heated exchange between the two during the game. Earlier, LeBron was assessed a technical of his own after taking exception to what he believed was Brooks intentionally batting the ball at him. The two have history, and Sunday’s game added another chapter.
Brooks didn’t hold back when speaking about the incident later in the week.
“[LeBron] gets a lot of special treatment,” Brooks said. “I guess he’s a social-media junkie.
He be all over the socials, so he be seeing I guess what I’m saying. … Like I’ve said, he thinks that people should think a way about him or not say nothing about him or play a certain way, and I’m not going to play that way.
He gets in his moods or in his modes or whatever it is. I’m all for that.”
Brooks has long thrived on being the agitator, the guy who gets under opponents’ skin. But as he acknowledged, that edge can be a double-edged sword. When it leads to an early exit, especially in a close game, it’s hard to ignore the cost.
LeBron’s Numbers Dip Early in Season as Lakers Search for Chemistry
With LeBron James now 40, the question of whether Father Time is finally catching up to him is starting to feel more real. Through his first nine games of the season, James’ numbers are down across the board. The production is still solid by most standards, but for LeBron, it’s noticeably below his usual output.
The Lakers’ coaching staff is still tinkering with lineups, especially when it comes to maximizing the trio of LeBron, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves. So far, the results have been mixed.
In 132 minutes with all three on the floor, the Lakers have a -5.1 net rating. That’s a stark contrast to the +8.6 net rating Doncic and Reaves have posted in the 442 minutes they’ve shared without LeBron.
Is it a chemistry issue? A workload management strategy?
Or just early-season rust? It’s too soon to draw sweeping conclusions, but it’s clear the Lakers are still figuring out how to make this version of their “big three” work.
Suns Rookie Khaman Maluach Making Noise in G League
While his NBA minutes have been limited-just 59 across 12 games-Suns rookie Khaman Maluach is making the most of his time in the G League. The 7-footer is starting to find his rhythm with the Valley Suns, stringing together four straight double-doubles and averaging 19.8 points and 15.3 rebounds during that stretch.
“It’s been great,” Maluach said of his G League stint. “It’s been going good for me, especially at this stage of my development.
I need that. I need the reps, the G League reps.
It’s great to go down there and just be able to get on the floor, run, get up and down, and get better now. I get to get film and watch film and watch what to work on because sometimes, some stuff doesn’t really show in practice.
It can only show during the games.”
Maluach’s development is a long-term play for the Suns, but his recent performances suggest he’s on the right track. The raw tools are there-size, mobility, a nose for the ball-and now he’s starting to put it all together in live action. It might not be long before he earns a longer look at the NBA level.
James Harden Sidelined with Calf Contusion
The Clippers will be without James Harden on Thursday when they face the Oklahoma City Thunder. Harden is dealing with a left calf contusion, an injury that seemed to bother him during Monday’s loss to Memphis, where he managed just 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting.
His status for Saturday’s marquee matchup against the Lakers remains uncertain.
For the Clippers, the hope is that this is more precautionary than problematic. Harden has been a key piece in their offensive flow since arriving, and they’ll need him healthy if they want to keep pace in the loaded Western Conference.