Let’s just face it. Most NBA players and teams don’t like OKC for their one unrestrained ‘habit.’ Which is perhaps why the regrouped Phoenix Suns might make the first round against the defending champs a must-watch. The Suns even got Dillon Brooks back on time and found their rhythm after the loss to Portland to beat the Golden State Warriors. They’ve clinched the no.8 seed, setting them in direct collision course with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Not many teams are looking forward to facing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co. But Dillon the Villain is prepared.
He takes his role as an agitator very seriously. Right after routing the Warriors 111-96 out of the postseason, he was on NBA on Prime stoking the flames for a fiery first round clash with the top seed.
“There are a lot of foul baiters on that team,” Brooks told the hosts, making Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, and Steve Nash audibly laugh but not deny it. The Phoenix Suns are the other defensively aggressive team in the West to match OKC. From the sounds of it, Brooks and team have their plan prepared.
“We gotta show our hands. I hope it’s the real playoffs. We can’t be calling too many calls but… Show your hand, we gotta follow the scout, follow them in the paint, and be able to have our rotations proper.”
“There are a lot of foul baiters on that team. We gotta show our hands. I hope it’s the real playoffs. Show your hands.”
— Dillon Brooks on OKC.
(h/t @ohnohedidnt24)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 18, 2026
While acknowledging the Thunder’s status as the league’s top-ranked team, Brooks delivered a sharp critique of their offensive tactics, specifically targeting their penchant for drawing whistles. The guy who’s served two suspensions for reaching the maximum count of techs in the regular season is hoping the rhythm of a playoff series will be maintained without too many calls. But the jab is obvious.
The comments serve as a clear warning shot to OKC superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who finished the regular season near the top of the league in free throw attempts, averaging 9.0 per game. But Dillon Brooks is ready to answer that.
Dillon Brooks has a clear strategy against OKC
Since the Kevin Durant trade brought him to Phoenix, Dillon Brooks instantly became the central defensive figure for the Suns. He emphasized to the veterans in the Prime studio that the key to an upset lies in disciplined physicality.
“We’re going to have our hands full with their driving, but you know our close outs and our rotations are great and we’ll be able to get them down lower to our shot clock and play our defense there,” he said about their strategy going into the game.
The Suns enter this series as heavy underdogs against a Thunder squad that finished with a league-leading record. The Thunder’s efficiency at the Paycom Center is a particular point of concern for Brooks, who noted, “you know they shoot great at home. There is a reason why they’re the number one team in the NBA.”
The Suns have shown they can play the giant-slayer role; Phoenix dismantled OKC in their regular-season finale earlier this month and tonight knocked off Stephen Curry’s Warriors to clinch the eighth seed.
