Suns’ Brooks ejected as he clashes with LeBron James again in Lakers’ last-gasp win | NBA
LeBron James made two free throws with 3.9 seconds left, Luka Dončić scored 29 points and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 20-point fourth-quarter lead to top the Phoenix Suns 116-114 on Sunday night.
Phoenix trailed 99-79 with 7:48 to play, but took a 114-113 lead with 12.2 seconds left on Dillon Brooks’ three-pointer to James, who made contact with Brooks after the shot. Brooks collided with James while returning to the court, earning him his second technical foul and an ejection.
More importantly, it gave the Lakers a free throw, but James missed the shot. On the ensuing possession, James was fouled on a three-point attempt by Devin Booker with 3.9 seconds remaining. James, 40 – who finished with 26 points – missed the first free throw but made the last two to give the Lakers a 115-114 lead. Phoenix’s Grayson Allen made a fumbled shot at the buzzer, but it was blocked by James.
Brooks and James have clashed since the 2023 playoffs, when Brooks called James “old” and said, “I’m poking bears.” Each man had committed a technical foul earlier Sunday after a physical play between the two. Asked about the incidents after the match, James seemed to enjoy his encounters with Brooks, who is 11 years his junior.
“I just like to compete,” James said. “He’s going to compete. I’m going to compete. We’re going to compete. Try not to go to the limit. I’m not really taking it there. But we’re just competing and we did that almost until the end of the game.”
Booker said he also enjoys watching James and Brooks compete. “Yeah, I mean, there’s a story there,” Booker said. “I love seeing that. People always say everything is too friendly in the NBA and then Dillon comes along and now it’s too much. So, like I said, I’d rather it be the other way around, that it would be too much.”
Lakers center Deandre Ayton had 20 points and 13 rebounds against his former team. Ayton played his first five NBA seasons in Phoenix after being selected first overall in 2018.
Los Angeles had a game-high 24 offensive rebounds, which helped make up for a rough shooting night. Dončić was 7 of 25 from the field, including 2 of 14 from three-point range.
Booker led the Suns with 27 points, returning to the lineup after missing three games with a groin injury. The four-time All-Star made 13 of 16 free throws.
