LeBron James opens up as explosive rivalry provides new chapter

Phoenix was the scene of a basketball rollercoaster on Sunday night as the Los Angeles Lakers escaped with a 116-114 victory over the Suns in one of the most chaotic finishes of the early NBA season. What unfolded was a mix of stunning scoring swings, tension-filled exchanges and a late ejection that helped swing the game back in Los Angeles’ favour.

The Suns mounted a remarkable rally in the fourth quarter after trailing by as many as 20 points, with Dillon Brooks emerging as a key figure. Brooks drilled a three-pointer with just over a dozen seconds remaining to put Phoenix ahead, setting the stage for a dramatic finale.

However, the sweetness of that moment was short-lived. Immediately after his big shot, Brooks got into a physical exchange with Lakers superstar LeBron James. Officials assessed Brooks a second technical foul for the altercation, resulting in his ejection under league rules. That call proved pivotal in turning momentum back toward the visitors.

“Try not to go borderline with it. I don’t really take it there”

Although James missed the subsequent technical free throw, fate still smiled on the Lakers. During the very next possession, James was fouled on a potential three-point attempt. The Lakers veteran converted two clutch free throws to regain the lead, sparking celebrations on the bench and leaving Suns fans stunned.

“I just like to compete,” James said of the emerging rivalry with Brooks. “He’s going to compete. I’m going to compete. We’re going to get up in each other’s face. Try not to go borderline with it. I don’t really take it there. But we’re just competing and did that almost all the way to the end of the game.”

When asked if he exaggerated Brooks’ contact with him with just a few seconds left to get the referees’ attention so a tech would be called, James was direct: “That’s definitely a tech; if it was a tech on me in the [third quarter], then it was a tech on him right here, too.”

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JJ Redick said of James and Brooks that “in terms of the back-and-forth... our group was unaffected by it.” Lakers forward Vanderbilt was not so diplomatic: “S---, I don’t know, he brought his antics. Tonight, it cost him.”

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