Lakers' LeBron James seals win after Suns' Dillon Brooks ejected - ESPN

PHOENIX — Just moments after Dillon Brooks' talents helped lead a furious 20-point Phoenix Suns comeback in the fourth quarter Sunday — as he hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 12.2 seconds left — his temperament caused the momentum to swing right back in the Los Angeles Lakers' favor.

Following his clutch 3, Brooks went chest-to-chest with his old nemesis, LeBron James, and was called for a technical foul — his second of the game — and ejected.

James went 2-for-4 from the line on the Lakers' following possession — missing the tech, but then getting fouled by Devin Booker on a 3 and hitting two of the attempts with 3.0 seconds left — and then blocked Grayson Allen's final shot to secure a 116-114 win for L.A.

It was the latest installment in a rivalry that's been brewing since the 2023 playoffs, when Brooks — who is 11 years younger than James ---referred to the NBA's all-time leading scorer as «old» and proudly declared, «I poke bears.»

James, who turns 41 later this month, turned in another age-defying performance Sunday, finishing with 26 points, four assists, two steals, two blocks and withstanding the missed free throws (and his eight turnovers) to seal the victory.

«I just like to compete,» James said of the matchup with Brooks. «He's going to compete. I'm going to compete. We're going to get up in each other's face. Try not to go borderline with it. I don't really take it there. But we're just competing and did that almost all the way to the end of the game.»

When asked if he exaggerated Brooks' contact with him with 12.2 seconds left to get the referees' attention so a tech would be called, James said the infraction was clear.

«That's definitely a tech,» James said. «If it was a tech on me in the [third quarter], then