Kevin Durant's juke sends Dillon Brooks to the floor as Rockets rally past Suns for 7th straight win
PHOENIX (AP) — Phoenix Suns well-known instigator Dillon Brooks was trying to get under the skin of Houston Rockets superstar Kevin Durant during a possession in the second quarter on Tuesday night, talking his usual trash while playing physical defense. That turned out to be a mistake. On the ensuing play, Durant juked Brooks, driving past him and making a jumper while Brooks stumbled to his knees.
The play helped the Rockets rally from an early 21-point deficit for a 119-105 victory in Durant's return to the desert after spending 2 1/2 seasons with the Suns from 2023-25. Durant brushed aside questions about whether Brooks' antics motivated him. The 37-year-old forward finished with 24 points and shot 5 of 9 on 3-pointers after being greeted with a mix of cheers and boos from Phoenix fans during pregame introductions.
“I'm not giving him that — he doesn't get that kind of credit with me,” Durant said. "Maybe some other guys may turn up because he talks to them, but he's not that important or special to me to get me going. I wake up getting ready to play.
“But I respect Dillon, I respect what he brings to the game. Like I said earlier, I think that gets him going more than me. I just happened to get that ball right afterwards and make a good move.
” Durant came to the Suns in 2023 as part of a four-team, trade-deadline deal just hours after Mat Ishbia officially took the reins of the franchise as a majority owner. The splashy move was widely praised at the time. However, Durant's tenure in the desert was mostly notable for the lack of postseason success.