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
Maybe it's just me ... but Dillon Brooks looks a little intimidated - by LeBron, by the Lakers crowd, by the spotlight he brought upon himself.
— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) April 23, 2023
LAL up 14-2 after a Russell bucket, then Reaves put-back J. Grizzlies are 1 for 11 with 4 TO's.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) April 23, 2023
Dillon Brooks is 0 for 3 with a turnover, as he traveled around a LeBron close out.
The Lakers blitz the Grizzlies early, go up 24-7. Timeout Memphis. LeBron James 8 pts on 4-of-6; Dillon Brooks 0 points on 0-of-4
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 23, 2023
Dillon brooks is an NBA parody twitter account that made the league
— Dom2K 🌊🏖 (@Dom_2k) April 23, 2023
Lakers fans every time Dillon Brooks fails at something pic.twitter.com/6t6vmSMMNa
— Harrison Faigen (@hmfaigen) April 23, 2023
The Grizzlies’ 9 points in the first quarter were the fewest by any team in any quarter all season, per @ESPNStatsInfo. https://t.co/B6mYrRkhiS
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 23, 2023
Dillon Brooks in the first quarter tonight:
— Hater Central (@TheHateCentral) April 23, 2023
0 Points
0-5 FG
0-4 3PT
3,213 Words
2 Dents in Rim
1 Major Regret
HOF TRASH TALKER...BUM ASS HOOPER 🗣🔥💯😱 pic.twitter.com/eVfplWUy8w
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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