LeBron James makes Dillon Brooks eat his words in no time in Game 3

LeBron James and the Lakers took Dillon Brooks’ trash talk and figuratively stuffed it down his throat in the first quarter of Game 3.

If you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned. Someone needed to tell Dillon Brooks that before he went off on “old” LeBron James after Game 2.

After a day to ruminate over Brooks’ talk, the Lakers went scorched earth on the Grizzlies in Game 3, blasting them 35-9 in the first quarter.

Brooks’ team paid the price for the Lakers anger and he didn’t do much to help. He was 0-for-4 with a turnover and a steal in the opening frame.

James declined to talk about Brooks in the media. He let his play do the talking instead, with eight quick points, five rebounds and an assist.

Brooks said he doesn’t respect anyone until they put up 40 on him. James was on track for that after one.

LeBron James made Dillon Brooks regret his words immediately

Brooks should now be a cautionary tale. Listen, trash talk is fun, but you’ve got to pick your spots and you definitely have to be able to back it up. Taking shots at the G.O.A.T. (or at the very least a player in the conversation) maybe isn’t a good idea when you’ve never averaged 20 points a game (and he’s never averaged less).

The craziest thing is Brooks made his comments after James put up 28 points in a loss. That’s an average night for the 38-year-old. It’s not like the Grizzlies shut him down.

The two teams left Memphis locked at 1-1. Then Brooks threw gasoline on the series and made it that much harder for the Grizzlies to take an advantage back in Los Angeles. Good job man.

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