Dillon Brooks found himself at the center of another ugly moment Wednesday night, and this one came with Damian Lillard on the other end.
During the third quarter of the Phoenix Suns’ game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Mortgage Matchup Center, Brooks and Lillard got tangled up after the whistle. Brooks kicked the back of Lillard’s left leg in the Achilles area, and Lillard immediately went after him.
Replays later showed that Brooks had kicked the back of Lillard’s leg rather than stepping on it, but either way, the contact was enough to set off the nine-time All-Star. Lillard knows exactly how sensitive that area is. He tore his left Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the first-round series between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 playoffs, then missed the entire 2025-26 season while working his way back.
If there was any doubt about whether the moment was intentional, Brooks’ reputation didn’t help his case. The 30-year-old has built up a long track record of questionable plays, and this latest incident only added to it.
Lillard answered in a hurry.
On the next possession, he buried a ridiculous layup, then stepped over Brooks, who was down on the floor. Lillard and Brooks had been chirping at each other on the sideline, and the Blazers guard made sure the response landed.
Dame and Dillon Brooks were chirping at each other on the sideline.
Next play: Dame hits a ridiculous double-clutch and-1 and steps right over him.
Full Allen Iverson over Tyronn Lue vibes.
Lillard finished with 25 points on 9-for-17 shooting, along with three rebounds and five assists, as Portland beat Phoenix 132-119. The win gave the Trail Blazers the season series after they had already blasted the Suns 124-83 in the opener.
Brooks had 10 points in that first matchup and followed it up with 15 points on 7-for-15 shooting, six rebounds, two assists and one steal in this one. Phoenix fell to 1-5, and the early results are starting to look a lot like the kind of season many expected from them.
The Suns gave Brooks a three-year, $73 million extension in the summer, but so far he’s made headlines for confrontations more than production. Before Wednesday’s run-in with Lillard, he was involved in an exchange with Draymond Green during Monday’s 116-113 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Phoenix is back at Mortgage Matchup Center on Thursday night against the Orlando Magic at 9 p.m. ET. After another eventful night for Brooks, all eyes will be on what comes next.
In Other News...
Damian Lillard Had Every Reason To Explode Over Dillon Brooks
Dillon Brooks managed to turn a routine stoppage into one of those moments that instantly grabs everyones attention. During a game, the Phoenix Suns wing appeared to try to step on Damian Lillards Achilles after a whistle, and Lillard reacted immediately by confronting him before referees and coaches stepped in to keep it from getting any worse. Lillard was not injured, but the sequence still had the kind of edge that can linger long after the possession is over.
For Portland fans, it was another reminder of how quickly things can get heated when Lillard is involved in a physical matchup. He has always carried himself with a calm, steady presence, so when he goes straight at an opponent like that, it says plenty about how serious the moment felt. The incident ended without further escalation, but it left plenty of room for questions about what Brooks was trying to do and how the league will view the exchange. [Read more 🡒]
Blazers Backcourt Takes Another Hit After Vt Krej Scare
Vt Krejs night ended in a hurry late in the third quarter against the Suns, and the sight of him leaving the arena on crutches with a protective boot only deepened the concern around Portlands backcourt. The Trail Blazers were already dealing with multiple injuries in that area, so another setback there is the last thing they needed as the season moves along.
The immediate issue now is the uncertainty around how long Krej will be out, with the team still waiting to learn more about the fracture to his lower left leg or ankle and whether surgery will be part of the recovery plan. For a Blazers group trying to piece together guard minutes on the fly, even a short absence would be a problem, and this one could linger well beyond that. [Read more 🡒]
Dillon Brooks Gives Suns Fans Another Frustrating Reason To Boil Over
Dillon Brooks managed to stir things up again in a game that had no shortage of edge, and Portland was right in the middle of it. Deni Avdija got into a verbal exchange with Brooks after accusing the Suns forward of flopping, adding another layer to a night that already featured a tense confrontation between Brooks and Damian Lillard.
Avdijas performance gave the Blazers plenty to feel good about beyond the dust-up, as he finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a win that helped Portland improve its season record. For a team still trying to build consistency, the result mattered, but so did the way it came together, with Brooks once again at the center of the kind of drama that tends to follow him from game to game. [Read more 🡒]