WATCH: LeBron James falls for Dillon Brooks' tactics and gets T'd up after elbowing Rockets guard
LeBron James and Dillon Brooks were at it again as the LA Lakers and Houston Rockets played their second game of the season against each other on Sunday. James and the Lakers are looking to avenge their 128-94 blowout loss against Brooks and Co.
In a tightly contested game thus far, James and Brooks have continued their heated battle, with the latter ruffling King James' feathers early in the second half. Brooks fouled James, which annoyed the Lakers star. Seeing James shove his counterpart, the refs quickly issued a technical foul to James after the incident. Here's the clip:
LeBron James and Dillon Brooks chirped at each other after that incident, giving fans exactly the kind of battle they anticipated. It was surprising to see James take the bait. Brooks has continued his antics to throw the four-time MVP off his game.
It was crucial considering the form James has been in thus far. Through 23 minutes of action, he has 20 points, four rebounds, six assists and three steals on 8-of-12 shooting. The Lakers' prospects to record a second consecutive win look good with James on the floor.
Dillon Brooks is going toe to toe with LeBron James
Dillon Brooks couldn't back up his trash talk to LeBron James a few months ago when the LA Lakers met the Memphis Grizzlies in Round 1 of the 2023 playoffs. Brooks' offensive game was subpar until then. But the $86 million forward has made significant improvements to his game since then.
He is the Rockets' leading scorer so far against the Lakers in Sunday's game. Brooks has 18 points. He has made timely 3s (4-of-7) to keep the Rockets in the game. He has been efficient throughout the season, having averaged 12.7 points on 54/50/81 splits.
Brooks has been crucial in the Rockets' blistering 6-4 start to the new season. He will have to play a significant role again if the Rockets are to extend their season series advantage to 2-0 vs. LeBron James and the Lakers.
Going by how Dillon Brooks has played in 26 minutes of action, the prospects of that happening look decent. However, his key contribution will be on the defensive end in limiting James.