SAN FRANCISCO – Another chapter in the Suns and Warriors series comes with an ejection to Warriors star Draymond Green after an altercation with Dillon Brooks and Khaman Maluach. Dillon Brooks immediately coming to Khaman Maluach’s defense after Draymond Green threw the young center to the floor showed the type of toughness and accountability Phoenix needs.
Apr 17, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State forward Green gestures the crowd after being ejected against Phoenix during the closing seconds of the play-in rounds of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Brooks’ willingness to confront one of the NBA’s most notorious competitors reinforces his identity as an emotional leader who doesn’t pick and choose when to stand up for teammates. For Phoenix fans, this is about more than one altercation. It’s about establishing an identity built on toughness, protection, and refusing to let opponents push them around. Phoenix doesn’t need Dillon Brooks to be everyone’s favorite player, they need him to be someone opposing teams don’t want to mess with. Against the Golden State Warriors, he offered another reminder of exactly why that matters.
Feb 1, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix forward Brooks (3) against the Los Angeles Clippers at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
At the start of the third quarter, Golden State veteran Draymond Green collided with Phoenix’s young center Khaman Maluach, sending Green to the floor. But what happened next quickly escalated the situation. Green got back up and threw Maluach to the ground, prompting Brooks to immediately step forward and get directly into Green’s face. Green was assessed a double technical foul, and Dillon Brooks was given a technical foul of his own.
Draymond TACKLED a Suns player then started CHOKING Dillon Brooks 😭 https://t.co/BrTJmx86DN
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) November 3, 2026
Dec 18, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Golden State forward Green (23) against Phoenix forward Brooks in the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Green has built a reputation as one of the league’s most intense competitors, someone who thrives on physicality, confrontation, and making opponents uncomfortable. Brooks understands that mentality better than most. Rather than allowing a younger teammate to deal with the situation alone, he immediately made his presence felt. That’s an important dynamic for a Phoenix team looking to establish itself as a legitimate competitor.
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Reporter Benjamin Bliklen covers the Arizona Diamondbacks, Arizona Cardinals, and Phoenix Suns for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @BenBliklen
