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[Saba Sports News] During Monday’s game, Dillon Brooks not only clashed with LeBron James but also stirred tensions with the Los Angeles Lakers, particularly after their 135-119 defeat by the Houston Rockets. Brooks, known for his provocative behavior, taunted James and even committed a flagrant foul against him.
Additionally, he antagonized Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt in the second quarter, leading to a heated exchange. After Vanderbilt pushed Brooks and received a technical foul, a further altercation ensued when Brooks reportedly insulted Vanderbilt with a vulgar term, resulting in Vanderbilt’s ejection for a second technical foul.
Post-game, the Lakers were openly upset about the incident between Brooks and Vanderbilt. An ESPN report by Dave McMenamin cited a Lakers player who mentioned Brooks’s derogatory comment towards Vanderbilt. Anthony Davis also defended Vanderbilt, criticizing Brooks’s disrespectful remarks and justifying Vanderbilt’s reaction.
The friction was partly attributed to Brooks’s contentious actions earlier in the game, including a controversial play during a Vanderbilt dunk. Brooks’s antagonistic stance against the Lakers was noted, but the team felt his behavior crossed the line this time, possibly exacerbated by the game’s decisive outcome.