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It didn't take long for Dillon Brooks to antagonize himself with the Oklahoma City Thunder. In a David-Goliath situation, the Phoenix Suns will need a miracle to even flirt with a seismic Round 1 upset. Through one game, this NBA playoff has gone chalk.
The Thunder absolutely destroyed the Suns in a 119-84 Game 1 win to open up the Round 1 series with a 1-0 lead. The talent discrepancy between the two teams is just too wide to ignore. Now, that doesn't mean the eighth seed will just walk into these games expecting a smacking, but it does mean they need to get creative to conjure up advantages.
In comes Brooks. After the Suns landed him in the Kevin Durant trade, they badly needed a culture reset. That's where he comes in. He's completely changed things up in Phoenix for the better. Enjoying a career season, he's turned into a 20-point scorer who remains as pesky as ever as a defender.
Of course, Brooks has also made a name for himself with his antics. He's not afraid to lean into the villain role. In fact, he loves it. His ride-or-die approach has made him endearing with the Memphis Grizzlies and Houston Rockets — even if it has a short shelf life.
Brooks started with a bang. He guaranteed the Suns would steal Game 1 from the Thunder. Before tip-off, he trolled Chet Holmgren by refusing to feel out the game ball. He walked backwards until he eventually flung it over to Devin Booker. In the first quarter, he smacked the seven-footer across the face while fighting for a board. That turned into a costly flagrant foul.
Let's just say Brooks is off to a 0-for-3 start with his antics. Just slightly worse than his 6-of-22 performance in Game 1. As the title favorite, the Thunder refuse to play down to his gimmicks. That's exactly what he wants to happen.
Here's what the Thunder said about Brooks after Game 1 and what he brings to the table for the Suns:
Mark Daigneault
"He's a guy we have great respect for. He's really changed the last three teams he's been on. There's been a culture of winning and defense on all three of those teams. I don't think that's an accident. We have high respect for him. He's a great competitor. He's a great two-end player. He's had an outstanding offensive year. One of the best in his career. We have nothing but respect for his team."
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
"Honestly speaking, Dillon's gonna affect the game regardless. That's what makes him a really good player. Wherever he goes, whatever team he plays on, they play at a high level, they compete, they defend and it's his mentality. It's infectious. You saw that with the Phoenix team. We've seen it in the past with Houston and Memphis. It's the player he is."
Chet Holmgren
"I mean, I wouldn't hand me the ball either. I didn't take it personal. He has his persona that he plays. I think he wanted to give it to his guy first, but I still got my touch before the game started. So we're good."
Jalen Williams
"If I'm being completely honest, I actually didn't see it. Dillon bumped me twice, so there was some physical play already. When we bumped, I kinda poked and it dribbled off his hand. I didn't actually see what happened. I think we just got into more of a rhythm in that. Chet kinda got into it with those free throws. I wish I could answer that better, but I lowkey didn't see the play. From that, the crowd got into it a little bit more. Which probably gave us a little more juice. After that, I don't really know. We were in a good spot there."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: In Game 1 win, OKC Thunder refused to fall for Dillon Brooks' antics
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