The Phoenix Suns haven’t played a single playoff game yet, but Dillon Brooks’ trash talk is already in playoff form.
After the Suns bested the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Play-In Tournament on Friday night to clinch the final playoff spot in the Western Conference and set up a first-round playoff series with the defending-champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Green wasted little time in taking a shot at Phoenix’s first-round opponent.
Dillon Brooks Calls out Thunder for ‘Foul-Baiting’ Ahead of First-Round Matchup
When asked about the matchup with the Thunder on the Amazon Prime postgame show, Brooks blasted the Thunder for foul-baiting. His comments will be sure to rile up fans in Oklahoma City.
“There’s a bunch of foul baiters on that team,” Brooks said. “Hopefully the refs treat it like the real playoffs and there’s not too many fouls.”
This is a classic example of Brooks playing mind games and trying to get into the head of his opponent, while also sending a subtle message to the officials. The Thunder, and specifically star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have been accused of receiving a favorable whistle for years now, so this is nothing new for them.
Last season, Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch publicly complained about the way that the Thunder are officiated.
“It’s so frustrating to play this team because they foul a ton. They really do,” Finch said. “They foul. They foul all the time. And then you can’t really touch Shai. It’s a very frustrating thing, and it takes a lot of mental toughness to play through it.”
Others have also expressed a similar sentiment. But, Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear that he isn’t concerned with such criticisms regarding his adeptness at drawing fouls earlier this season.
“I don’t care, not one bit. I can’t control how the refs blow the whistle ever. I’ve never been able to. Never been a ref. All I can do is play basketball, and that’s all I focus on. Try to win games and win championships”
History is Against the Suns Pulling An Upset Over the Thunder
Brooks can obviously talk the talk, but he’ll also have to walk the walk against Oklahoma City, as the Suns will have their hands full when it comes to trying to dethrone the defending champs.
It is worth noting, though, that he Suns had some success against the Thunder during the regular season. The teams met five total times, and while the Thunder won the season series, the Suns were able to claim two victories, including in the most recent meeting earlier this month. To be fair though, both teams played their reserves in that final game, so it’s not an accurate indicator of much.
As an eight seed, the Suns face extremely long odds when it comes to toppling the top seed. In fact, the No. 8 seed has only defeated the No. 1 seed just six times in NBA history. The most recent occasion was when the Miami Heat bested the Milwaukee Bucks in five games in 2023.
Suns’ Dillon Brooks Takes Shot at Thunder Ahead of Playoff Matchup