The Phoenix Suns opened their 2025-26 NBA campaign with a gritty 120-116 win over the Sacramento Kings, and newcomer Dillon Brooks was instrumental in the comeback victory.
Brooks, who was part of the haul the Phoenix Suns received in the historic Kevin Durant trade, pumped in 22 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals on 9-for-24 shooting. More importantly, the 29-year-old enforcer brought the toughness to the squad.
“He’s crazy! He’s crazy,” Ryan Dunn said of Brooks via Arizona Sports’ Kellan Olson. “I’ll say this, I’m glad to have him on my team. He’s a dog, but he means well. He pushes us every day, he’s gonna try to go at everybody he guards. That’s someone good to have your back.”
“That’s part of his M.O., and we need that,” Devin Booker said. “It’s definitely something that we didn’t have a lot of last year. Just getting everybody riled up, getting everybody in tune with the game, and you can’t teach that stuff, and you can’t value it.”
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Dillon Brooks went back and forth with DeMar DeRozan, as the two forwards exchanged barbs and buckets late in the fourth period. In the end, the Phoenix Suns forward won the battle, crediting his effort to a “wear-down effect.”
“Oh yeah, I know that from every team I’ve played on, it’s that. If you’re able to play hard every single night, there’s teams that are not willing to do that,” Brooks said via AZ Central’s Duane Rankin.
Next up for the Phoenix Suns are the Los Angeles Clippers, who dropped their first game against the Utah Jazz, this Friday night at Intuit Dome.
