Analysis: Renewal of Suns-Lakers rivalry in a volatile match

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00:00The real story of Sunday's 116-114 thriller between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles

00:06Lakers isn't just the comeback or the final score, it's that a decades-old rivalry was

00:11just reignited to a white-hot level we haven't felt in years, and all it took was one regular

00:16season game in mid-December.

00:18The ongoing saga between Dylan Brooks and LeBron James, incredibly sloppy play, constant

00:24chippiness, and some maddening officiating decisions lit a fuse under this matchup.

00:29It all came together, in a dramatic, final act.

00:33Down 20 with 8.40 to go, after a near 8-minute scoreless streak, the Suns went from a complete

00:40mess to hitting a go-ahead shot with just 12 seconds left.

00:44With opposing fans taking over their building, the Lakers' D'Angelo Russell committed a once-in-a-decade

00:49level of bad decision, a transition turnover you have to see to believe, that kept the

00:53door open for Phoenix.

00:54A 14-3 Suns run got them within 9, but the Lakers briefly stabilized to go back up 14,

01:01with 3.54 left.

01:03Then, LA's next possessions were, turnover, missed 3, missed 3, turnover, missed 3.

01:11Phoenix scored off every 1, a 12-nil run in just over 2 minutes, to suddenly be down only

01:172.

01:17After a LeBron layup, the Lakers were up 4 with 28 seconds left.

01:22That's when Russell, receiving a pass from a pressured LeBron in the backcourt with a

01:26wide-open lane to the basket, made an even bigger boneheaded play.

01:30He drove, only to have Royce O'Neal waiting to emphatically block his shot with 8 seconds

01:35left.

01:36Devin Booker then missed a pull-up 3 for the lead, grabbed his own rebound, and found Grayson

01:41Allen for the go-ahead 3-pointer.

01:44On that shot, LeBron James impeded Allen's landing space.

01:48No foul was called.

01:50Allen responded by darting over and giving LeBron a chest bump.

01:54The Lakers had already called a timeout, so officials reviewed for a hostile act.

01:58They ruled it was, giving Allen his second technical foul, and an ejection.

02:02This gave LeBron a chance at the last laugh, with a technical free throw to tie.

02:06First, he missed it, leaving the game tied with 12 seconds left.

02:10But he got redemption.

02:13On the Lakers' next possession, down 1, a broken play ended with LeBron taking a deep 3.

02:19Booker closed out, and on the replay, officials saw contact on LeBron's wrist.

02:24Suns coach Frank Vogel challenged, but it was upheld.

02:27A foul on a 3-point attempt.

02:29I've always been told hand is a part of the ball, and so braw, bumbobrebon sucks.

02:34It's over with now, Booker said postgame.

02:37I shouldn't have even been in the area to commit that foul.

02:40LeBron made 2 of 3 free throws to put LA up 2.

02:43With 3.9 seconds left, Royce O'Neal inbounded to Kevin Durant near the wing.

02:48Durant's step-through jumper was cleanly blocked by LeBron, who said he'd scouted that move,

02:53and that was the game.

02:54Dylan Brooks is the NBA's premier pot-stirrer.

02:58His antics have won the Grizzlies games by getting in opponents' heads.

03:01But Sunday was the biggest game where it backfired, contributing directly to the loss.

03:07There's history there.

03:08I love to see it, Booker said.

03:10People always say everything's too friendly in the NBA, and then Dylan comes around, and

03:14now it's too much.

03:15I'd rather have it the other way.

03:17Him be too much.

03:18The mind games with LeBron were simmering all night.

03:21In the second quarter, Brooks exaggerated contact from James to draw an offensive foul.

03:25It was reviewed and downgraded to a common foul.

03:27Then, just before halftime, LeBron beat Brooks for an offensive rebound off a free throw,

03:33was fouled by Brooks, missed his second free throw, got his own rebound again, and drew

03:38another foul.

03:39Three extra points in 13 seconds.

03:41Off free throw rebounds, a direct result of the heightened focus.

03:45The twist came after halftime.

03:47Early in the third, after a Brooks foul, a loose ball led to a minor swat from Brooks that

03:52went off LeBron.

03:54This caused LeBron to lose his composure, bump Brooks, and have to be held back.

04:00He received a technical.

04:02Brooks did not.

04:03But two possessions later, LeBron baited Brooks on an isolation, selling a shoulder bump to

04:07draw Brooks' fifth foul just two minutes into the half.

04:14He's going to compete.

04:15I'm going to compete.

04:16We're going to get up in each other's face, James said post-game.

04:20Brooks was not available to speak.

04:22He finished with 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting.

04:26LeBron had 26 points on 8-for-17 shooting, with 8 turnovers, 5 in the first quarter.

04:33A first for him in 15 years.

04:36Key team stats jump out, a 43-25 Lakers advantage in free throw attempts.

04:41That's a known factor playing L.A.

04:43If that's a given, you must control everything else.

04:47Phoenix didn't.

04:47The Suns were outworked, losing the offensive glass 24-10.

04:52While they won points off turnovers 36-31, they missed 22 of their first 25 three-point

04:58attempts.

04:59Booker, returning from a three-game absence, pointed not to the fouls, but the effort.

05:04We just got outworked from the beginning until the fourth quarter.

05:07It can't be an on-and-off switch with us.

05:09Anthony Davis was outstanding for L.A., with 20 points, 10-for-11, and 13 rebounds, outplaying

05:17Phoenix's Jusuf Nurkic, 20 points, 6 rebounds.

05:21Lakers role players like Jared Vanderbilt, 6 offensive rebounds, and Jackson Hayes, 12 points,

05:289 rebounds, provided crucial energy.

05:30For Phoenix, Booker had 27 points and 7 assists.

05:34Kevin Durant had a brutal shooting night, 7-for-25, 2-for-14 from 3, but got to the line,

05:41making 14 of 16 free throws.

05:43So here's my question for you.

05:44In a league that often feels too friendly, is the intensity and chaos that Dylan Brooks

05:50brings, even when it costs his team, worth it for the pure entertainment and revived

05:55rivalries we saw tonight, or is it a net negative that disrupts the actual sport by

06:00the side-stopper-pact on 9?

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