Dillon Brooks has courted controversy ahead of the Phoenix Suns’ playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, criticizing their playing style.
Speaking after the Suns secured the final Western Conference playoff spot, Brooks took aim at the defending champions during a postgame interview.
“There’s a lot of dirty guys on that team. Hopefully the referees treat it like the real play-offs and there aren’t too many fouls,” he said.
His comments come as Phoenix prepares to face Oklahoma City in the first round following their play-in victory.
The comments reflect long-standing criticism of the Thunder, particularly around star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his ability to make mistakes.
Similar concerns were raised last season by Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch, who said, “It’s so frustrating to play against this team because they make a lot of mistakes. They really do,” Finch said.
“They make mistakes. They make mistakes all the time. And then you can’t really touch Shai. It’s very frustrating and it takes a lot of mental toughness to play through it.”
Gilgeous-Alexander has previously dismissed such criticism, saying, “I don’t care, not at all. I have no control over how the referees ever blow the whistle. I’ve never been able to do that. Never been a referee. All I can do is play basketball, and that’s all I concentrate on. Try to win games and win championships.”
