Dillon Brooks Leads Suns Past Lakers, 132–108, in Statement Win

PHOENIX — The Phoenix Suns delivered one of their most complete performances of the season Tuesday night, overwhelming the Los Angeles Lakers 132–108 at Footprint Center in a statement win that felt bigger than the final score.

Phoenix (16–13) shot the lights out, controlled the tempo early, and never let the Lakers (19–9) believe a comeback was coming. And in the middle of it all was Dillon Brooks — equal parts scorer, irritant, and tone-setter.

Brooks sets the tone — and the scoreboard

Brooks led all scorers with 25 points on 10-of-15 shooting, torching the Lakers while continuing his now-familiar psychological warfare against LeBron James. From quick hand slaps to constant pressure and chatter, Brooks stayed under LeBron’s skin all night, helping frustrate the veteran star as the game slipped away.

What made Brooks’ night even more bizarre — and historic — was the box score. He finished with 25 points and zero rebounds, zero assists, zero steals, zero blocks, and zero turnovers, a stat-line rarity accomplished only 19 times since turnovers began being tracked league-wide. Efficient. Surgical. Unapologetic.

Suns blitz early, cruise late

Phoenix wasted no time asserting control. After shooting 58.7% in the first half, the Suns opened the third quarter by hitting 11 of their first 13 shots, stretching the lead to as many as 27 points. All five starters were in double figures just minutes into the second half, turning the final 18 minutes into extended garbage time.

The Suns finished the night shooting 59% from the field, 41% from three, and piled up 35 assists, carving up a Lakers defense that folded once adversity hit.

Booker orchestrates, depth delivers

Devin Booker quietly controlled the game, posting 21 points and 11 assists, picking apart mismatches and keeping Phoenix’s offense humming. Collin Gillespie added 16 points and eight assists, continuing his emergence as a steady presence when injuries have forced lineup shuffling.

Mark Williams bounced back in a big way with 18 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two blocks in just 21 minutes, giving Phoenix much-needed interior stability. Booker praised Williams postgame, calling him “unbelievable” and emphasizing the team’s growing chemistry with the big man.

Off the bench, two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea continued his improbable run. Fearless attacking switches and weak defenders, Bouyea scored 14 points and once again looked like a player who belongs in a rotation — not someone fighting to stick in the league.

Context matters: schedule, injuries, belief

This win came at the end of what many Suns fans have called the toughest 14-game stretch any NBA team has faced this season — a brutal run featuring multiple games against the Lakers, Thunder, Timberwolves, Rockets, Warriors, Spurs, Nuggets, and Kings. Phoenix finished that gauntlet 7–7, despite missing key players at various points and juggling rotations.

Online sentiment summed it up best: “This is a playoff team when healthy.”

The Suns did this without consistent availability from Jalen Green (hamstring) and Grayson Allen (knee management), and with minutes restrictions and lineup instability throughout December. Tuesday’s blowout wasn’t just a win — it was a reset.

A stabilizing statement

After weeks of tight losses, late-game heartbreak, and ugly blowouts, Phoenix finally exhaled. The ball moved. The shots fell. The defense forced the Lakers into resignation rather than resistance.

With only five home games over the next 33 days and a road-heavy schedule looming, the Suns needed a performance that reminded them — and everyone else — who they can be.

Tuesday night did exactly that.