Because the playoff sequence between the Lakers and Grizzlies intensifies, so does the person battle between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks.
When you’re retaining observe at house, it solely took two video games for issues to get chippy between the 2 wings on this sequence.
Throughout the third quarter of Memphis’ Sport 2 win over the LA, the 2 exchanged phrases following back-to-back buckets from James. Brooks then stared down James after making a 3-pointer within the fourth quarter that stretched the lead again to double figures.
If that wasn’t sufficient, Brooks did not maintain again when requested about their back-and-forth postgame.
“I do not care. He is outdated,” Brooks mentioned. “You realize what I imply? I used to be ready for that. I used to be anticipating him to try this Sport 4, Sport 5. He needed to say one thing once I bought my fourth foul. He ought to have been saying that earlier on. However I poke bears. I do not respect nobody till they arrive and provides me 40.”
Oh, and there is extra.
“He isn’t on the similar degree that he was when he was on Cleveland successful championships, Miami,” Brooks continued. “I want I bought to see that. It will have been a more durable process, however I am enjoying with what I’ve bought.”
James bought a little bit of revenge on Saturday evening because the Lakers secured a 111-101 victory to take a 2-1 sequence lead. The meat took one other flip when Brooks was ejected early within the second half after receiving a Flagrant 2 foul for hitting James within the groin. James completed the sport with 25 factors, 9 rebounds and 5 assists.
MORE: Dillon Brooks blames media, followers for ‘villain’ status after Sport 3 ejection
We regarded on the on-court historical past between James and Brooks heading into the sequence. Has Brooks been as efficient as he makes it sound?
LeBron James vs. Dillon Brooks stats
Here is what James is averaging in opposition to the Grizzlies by way of three video games of the first-round sequence:
36.3 minutes per recreation
24.7 factors per recreation
10.7 rebounds per recreation
4.3 assists per recreation
1.7 blocks per recreation
1.5 steals per recreation
3.0 turnovers per recreation
50.7 % discipline objective capturing
16.7 % 3-point capturing
65.5 % free throw capturing
In line with the matchup information, James did most of his injury within the first two video games of the sequence with Brooks as his main defender.
LeBron James vs. Grizzlies (2023 NBA Playoffs)
Defender
Minutes
Factors
Assists
Turnovers
FGM-FGA
Dillon Brooks
12:52
26
4
0
11-18
David Roddy
4:38
9
0
2
3-7
Xavier Tillman
3:43
4
1
1
2-6
Jaren Jackson Jr.
2:37
11
2
1
5-8
Desmond Bane
1:40
4
0
0
2-5
Luke Kennard
1:02
4
1
1
2-3
Santi Aldama
0:25
2
0
0
1-1
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Dillon Brooks says LeBron James ‘cannot’ take him one-on-one
There are a pair extra attention-grabbing issues Brooks mentioned about James postgame.
The primary: “I simply let him know you could’t take me one-on-one. You haven’t. You go have a look at the movie. He doesn’t actually take me one on one till that second. Then when he bought subbed out he was drained. So I did my job.”
By my rely, James has scored 9 baskets with Brooks as his main defender by way of two video games, not 11.
Here is every a type of buckets:
Brooks is not flawed that James hasn’t scored rather a lot in opposition to him in one-on-one conditions.
James did not rating as a lot in isolation this season as he has in years previous, however he is gone from averaging 4.0 isolation possessions per recreation within the common season to 1.5 within the playoffs. He is posting up barely much less as properly, from 2.6 possessions per recreation within the common season to 2.0 within the playoffs.
Whereas James is getting fewer isolation and post-up alternatives, his spot-up and transition possessions are up up to now within the sequence. He is all the time been a one-man wrecking crew within the open court docket, however the Grizzlies will seemingly reside with him recognizing up extra if it means he is not getting downhill.
The chart may look very completely different by the tip of the sequence, in fact. James has a historical past of feeling out video games at first of a sequence and the Lakers did not want a very massive evening from him to steal Sport 1. Additionally, James was extra aggressive in attacking Brooks in Sport 2 than he was in Sport 1. That would very properly be a precursor for the remainder of the sequence.
That brings us to the second attention-grabbing factor Brooks mentioned after Sport 2: “Simply put on and tear on him all through a seven-game sequence and see if he can take it — see if he needs to play the one-on-one battle, or if he needs to be out on the sideline.”
Brooks is enjoying the lengthy recreation by considering he can put on James out over the course of a seven-game sequence. It is a good technique with James being in his twentieth season and never far faraway from struggling a foot damage that sidelined him for a month. Him difficult and enjoying thoughts video games with James may backfire, in fact, but when something, it is a reminder of how a lot the Lakers want Anthony Davis to claim himself to win this sequence.