Dillon Brooks Torches Lakers: 33-Point Villain Performance Leads Suns Past LeBron & Luka on December 2, 2025

On December 2, 2025, Dillon Brooks once again embraced his villain persona on the NBA’s biggest stage, powering the Phoenix Suns to a 125–108 road win over the Los Angeles Lakers and snapping L.A.’s seven-game winning streak. The Suns forward dropped 33 points in the blowout, overwhelming a Lakers team led by Luka Dončić and a surprisingly quiet LeBron James, and turning what began as a marquee matchup into a showcase for his two-way intensity.

Brooks’ performance became even more crucial after Devin Booker exited early with a groin injury in the first quarter. While Booker had gotten off to a hot start before leaving, Phoenix needed a new offensive engine. Brooks answered, attacking mismatches, punishing the Lakers in transition and keeping the scoreboard moving as the Suns turned defense into offense. Multiple outlets noted that by the end of the third quarter he had already cleared the 30-point mark on efficient shooting, helping Phoenix build and maintain a double-digit cushion on the second night of L.A.’s back-to-back.

But numbers were only part of the story. True to form, Brooks leaned into his reputation as the league’s chief antagonist. Late in the first half, after leaking out for an easy dunk in transition, he turned directly to LeBron and broke out one of James’s own signature shoulder-shrug celebrations, a pointed bit of trolling that quickly went viral. The move triggered an exchange of words, with cameras catching James being pulled away by teammates during a timeout as he continued jawing in the direction of Brooks and the Suns bench.

The theatrics didn’t stop there. Brooks kept up a steady stream of on-court mind games, even sneaking in a joking high-five with Dončić after a free throw, underscoring how comfortable he was controlling not only the flow of the game but also its emotional temperature. Commentators framed the performance as the latest chapter in his long-running psychological battle with LeBron, dating back to their heated playoff clashes when Brooks was with Memphis and, more recently, through multiple fines and confrontations tied to his ultra-physical style.

For the Suns, the night reinforced why they pursued Dillon Brooks despite the baggage. His ability to defend at a high level, score in bunches and unapologetically soak up the role of NBA heel provides Phoenix with a unique edge. For Lakers fans, it was something far more painful: another reminder that, in this rivalry at least, the league’s most infamous agitator is still very much in their heads—and, for one night at Crypto.com Arena, firmly in control of the scoreboard.