LeBron James sparks new confrontation as Lakers escape Phoenix thriller
What was shaping up to be a routine regular-season matchup in Phoenix turned chaotic in the closing minutes Sunday night, when long-running tensions between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks briefly took over the game.
The Lakers escaped with a 116–114 win, but the final sequence had the feel of a rivalry installment rather than a mid-January contest.
Momentum shifts and rising tempers
The tone began to change early in the fourth quarter. During a scramble along the baseline, James and Brooks became entangled, drawing officials and players from both sides toward the corner.
James appeared frustrated as he tried to make his case to the referees and made contact with one of them — an action that earned him a technical foul. The Lakers star rarely loses his composure, which added to the surprise inside the arena.
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Brooks strikes, then sparks another confrontation
Phoenix briefly surged ahead when Brooks buried a three over James with just 12.2 seconds remaining. As he fell backward on the release, Brooks immediately appealed for a foul and stepped toward James in protest. The two squared up, and officials separated them after a short but heated exchange.
Brooks, already playing with one technical, was hit with another. The second whistle sent him to the locker room and flipped the emotional tenor of the final moments.
Lakers close the door
On the next possession, James drew a foul from beyond the arc. He converted two of three free throws, nudging Los Angeles back in front for good.
He finished with 26 points, plus contributions across the box score: three rebounds, four assists, and a pair of steals and blocks. Brooks ended his night with 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting before being ejected.
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Postgame perspective
Afterward, James avoided escalating the storyline. He framed the dust-ups as part of high-level competition.
“I just like to compete,” he told reporters. “He's going to compete. I'm going to compete. We're going to get up in each other's face… But we're just competing, and did that almost all the way to the end of the game.”
A familiar backdrop
This wasn’t the first time the two have tested each other’s limits. In the 2023 postseason, outlets including The Guardian reported that Brooks then a defensive agitator for Memphis labeled James “old” and said he enjoyed “poking the bear.”
The comments followed the Grizzlies’ Game 2 win, and the exchange became one of the defining storylines of that series.
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James didn’t put up 40 in any game, as Brooks had challenged, but he controlled the matchup with averages of 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds and 5.2 assists. After the Lakers advanced in six games, James posted an Instagram caption quoting rapper Mystikal: “If you ever see me fighting in the forest with a Grizzly bear, HELP THE BEAR.”
Another chapter in an ongoing duel
Sunday’s encounter didn’t match the playoff stakes of their earlier clashes, but it carried the same intensity. With their history now stretching across teams, seasons, and storylines, any meeting between James and Brooks tends to gather extra attention — and this one didn’t disappoint.
Sources: AP, ESPN, The Guardian
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