How Dillon Brooks played mind games on LA Lakers during Game 4 loss vs. OKC Thunder

There is no way to prove Brooks caused anyone to miss. But the whole point of his basketball personality has never been subtlety.

Brooks has always understood discomfort. He talks, stares, crowds space, and turns normal moments into something more tense than they need to be.

This had the same feel. He was not guarding anyone, but he was still present in a way the Lakers could not easily miss.

LA Lakers defeat gave Dillon Brooks the last laugh

The timing made it worse for the Lakers because they lost 115-110 in Game 4 and were eliminated after a 4-0 series sweep. That turned Brooks’ courtside appearance from a random cameo into a victory lap.

Brooks’ feud with LeBron goes back years, including the 2023 playoff series when he called James “old” and said he liked to “poke bears.”

That chapter ended badly for Brooks at the time. The Lakers beat Memphis, and James had the stronger final word.

This time, Brooks got to sit in Los Angeles and watch the Lakers’ season end without having to absorb any on-court punishment. That is why the moment felt like revenge, even if he was not wearing an Oklahoma City uniform.

The Thunder did the actual work. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Oklahoma City’s depth finished the job, while the Lakers could not produce enough late offense to survive.

But Brooks still managed to insert himself into the scene. That is what he does best. He finds the emotional weak spot, stands near it, and waits for the reaction.

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