From the first half, it was clear this was not a routine regular-season game between the Lakers and Suns. With Los Angeles already flexing its physicality, James lowered his shoulder and barreled into Dillon Brooks on a drive, drawing an offensive foul after the Suns forward sold the contact and the officials went to the monitor to confirm the call.

The whistle reinforced how tightly the game would be policed and added fuel to an already simmering rivalry between the two. James responded by attacking even harder, later capping a massive Lakers run with a deep three and barking in Brooks’ direction as Los Angeles built what looked like a decisive 20-point cushion.

LeBron, Brooks, and the Referee Flashpoint

The tension boiled over in the third quarter when Brooks slapped the ball toward James during a dead ball, triggering another confrontation. As referee Tyler Ford signaled a technical, James surged toward Brooks and had to be restrained, briefly making forceful contact with official Scott Twardoski while Rui Hachimura helped hold him back.

James was hit with a technical, but the incident did not escalate further, even as Suns fans felt the Lakers star had crossed a line with his physical reaction to both opponent and referee. The sequence encapsulated the emotional edge of the matchup, with calls and no-calls on James and Brooks scrutinized on replays and social media throughout the night.

Brooks’ Ejection and LeBron’s Final Word

Phoenix refused to fold and stormed back from 20 down, finally seizing a 114–113 lead when Brooks drilled a three over James with just over 12 seconds remaining. As he celebrated, Brooks went chest to chest with James and made clear contact, earning a second technical foul and an automatic ejection in what crew chief Ford later described as unsportsmanlike dead-ball contact.

James missed the ensuing technical free throw but drew a foul on a last-second three-pointer and converted two of three shots at the line to secure a 116–114 victory for Los Angeles.

He finished with 26 points and another chapter in a long-running feud with Brooks, one that now includes an offensive foul, a near confrontation with a referee, and a reminder that his competitiveness can still drag a game into chaos.