
OK State lands top transfer Crooks from ISU
Top transfer Audi Crooks commits to Oklahoma State from Iowa State
Chet Holmgren finds Dillon Brooks' gamesmanship amusing, despite Brooks interrupting his pre-game ritual before Game 1 against the Phoenix Suns. The Suns lost the game by 35 points, highlighting the irony of Brooks' antics.
Chet Holmgren reveals that he finds Dillon Brooks' attempts at gamesmanship funny originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Before games, Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren often gets the ball to shoot the ball in the air as his pre-game ritual. Unfortunately, he had to wait before doing it ahead of Game 1 against the Phoenix Suns.
Dillon Brooks, who is well-known for his antics, did not let Holmgren do it. This was something to be expected from Brooks, which made it an even worse look because the Suns got blown out by 35 points in Game 1.
For the longest time, Brooks has been in the NBA as an instigator. He managed to shed that reputation a bit during the 2025-26 season with the Suns. Brooks was excellent in the regular season, proving that the Suns were valid in trading Kevin Durant for him and Jalen Green.
In his best regular season performance, Brooks averaged 20.2 points per game. While he still has some antics here and there, it was an impressive performance. Those antics reared their ugly head in Game 1 of the series against OKC.
Chet Holmgren stated that he finds Dillon Brooks' attempts at gamesmanship funny.
Dillon Brooks interrupted Chet Holmgren's pre-game ritual of shooting the ball in the air before Game 1.
The Phoenix Suns were blown out by 35 points in Game 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Top transfer Audi Crooks commits to Oklahoma State from Iowa State

Jon Cooper calls Lightning's penalties 'stupidity' after Game 1 loss to Canadiens
Jadon Sancho struggles in his return from injury while on loan from Man United.
Discover the 7 safest picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, including Fernando Mendoza!
The Boston Marathon 2026 will take place on Patriots' Day, featuring a 26.2-mile course with thousands of runners and spectators. Key details include the channel, live stream options, start time, and route information.
Sunderland's thrilling 4-3 loss to Aston Villa featured a debut goal from Chris Rigg.
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
Holmgren tried to do his pre-game ritual, but Brooks was being stubborn. Thankfully, Chet did get to do it afterwards, which nullified Brooks' antics a bit.
While some players might take issue with that, Holmgren felt it was something that he understood because mind games are part of succeeding in the league.
"I mean I wouldnt hand him the ball either. I didn't take it personal. He has his persona that he plays, and I think he wanted to give it to his guy, but I still got my touch before the game started," Holmgren said about Brooks' gamesmanship.
This is a good sign for the Thunder because they are unfazed by what they are getting from their opponents. Some players will want to play the mind games, but as long as they have a level head, they should be in a good spot moving forward.