LeBron James and Dillon Brooks clashed again in a game that started with some light trash talk and escalated quickly. Early in the first quarter, Brooks picked up a technical foul after bumping with LeBron in the paint. The tension continued until a moment where Brooks swatted a loose ball that hit LeBron in the back. LeBron immediately reacted, yelling at the refs and accusing Brooks of intentionally spiking the ball at him. He even pulled out his mouthguard to make sure his complaint was heard clearly. The refs called it a dead-ball situation under a possible hostile act and reviewed the play.
The replay showed Brooks did hit the ball toward LeBron after the whistle, but the refs ruled it unintentional. Still, LeBron got hit in the back, got heated, and picked up a technical of his own for charging at Brooks. Brooks then got to shoot free throws, made them, and later in the game was involved in more physical play. At some point, he appeared to collide with LeBron again and may have been ejected afterward, though the clip wasn’t clear.
Beyond that dustup, the video fixates briefly on one Suns player, Allen, who entered the frame in a robotic way, prompting a tangent about NPC-like movement and old refs possibly wearing toupees. But the main focus stayed on whether Brooks took a cheap shot and how LeBron responded, both physically and vocally. The final ruling didn’t support LeBron’s version, but the moment added another chapter in their ongoing feud.