PHOENIX – Friday was a day of celebration for the Phoenix Suns, beating the Golden State Warriors 111-96 in the Play-In to secure its spot in the postseason. Phoenix entered the season with plenty of doubters, but wing Dillon Brooks wasn’t one of them. His heroics is a massive reason why the franchise is avoided the lottery. Brooks changed the culture of Phoenix to not duck the smoke of anyone in front of them, and he continued that mindset during his Amazon Prime interview postgame following Friday’s win.
The Suns will face off against the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round, and the 30-year-old took the opportunity to throw shots at them. During his interview with Taylor Rooks and the Prime crew, Brooks called out the Thunder for having “foul baiters” and their style of play.
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks celebrates after defeating the Golden State Warriors in the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Brooks calling out OKC “foul baiters” ahead of matchup:
The term foul baiter was popularized by fans this season because of the play of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The MVP has gotten the reputation of embellishing contact in the hopes of getting the whistle, leading to free throws. Brooks is obviously trying to get under the skin of Oklahoma City and Gilgeous-Alexander with these comments, in classic Villain fashion.
Jan 4, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
For reference, Gilgeous-Alexander is third in free throw attempts per game at 9.0 per game, while the Thunder are 17th overall with 23.2. However, the 27-year-old averages 18.8 drives per game, which is third in the NBA. Devin Booker is similar to Gilgeous-Alexander because he is fifth in drives and free throw attempts, showing the correlation of the two stats.
Phoenix is 28th in free throw attempts and 22nd in fouls, not a stellar combo against Oklahoma City. The Suns have held the Thunder to under 20 free throws four times in the five matchups, including two of them being nine and 13 attempts. The franchise is 2-3 against the defending champs this season, but one win came at the final game of the season when no starters played.
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) celebrates a three point shot against the Golden State Warriors during the first half in the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
While Brooks’ comments might not have the validity, they do hammer home the message that he wants to send to his opponent. Despite being massive underdogs, Brooks will have his team ready to try and punk the Thunder and Gilgeous-Alexander in Game 1 on Sunday.
Fans kept the faith, Phoenix Suns rewarded it with win over Golden State Warriors
Get the BEST Phoenix sports insider information, and exclusive content. SIGN UP HERE to unlock our premium content!*
Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
