The Phoenix Suns may have come out of Tuesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets with a 106-102 win, but the real highlight of the matchup was a scuffle that erupted after Nets rookie Egor Demin shoved Dillon Brooks to the ground.
Tuesday night was certainly an eventful one, as multiple fights broke out across the league. At the Suns’ game, matters escalated quickly as Dillon Brooks attempted to secure the ball from Ziaire Williams‘ hands.
In the process of trying to win a jump ball call, Brooks lifted the ball (and Williams) off the floor, which led Egor Demin to step in and shove Brooks. What followed was absolute chaos.
Although Suns’ center Mark Williams appeared to move Demin away from Dillon Brooks, Royce O’Neale charged at the rookie. In response, Terance Mann and Michael Porter Jr. pushed O’Neale away, resulting in the benches on both sides being cleared.
Dillon Brooks got SHOVED TO THE GROUND and a fight broke out 😭 pic.twitter.com/UHwbvqi31u
— BrickCenter (@BrickCenter_) January 28, 2026
Matters continued to escalate once the bench mob got involved. Things remained heated even after the players were sent back, as Porter Jr. was seen shoving Suns assistant coach DeMarre Carroll, too.
On a more serious note, however, Nets forward Ziaire Williams had to be helped off the floor with a potential injury. Considering how effective he has been for Brooklyn lately, the Nets will hope that his injury is minor.
Naturally, the whistles blew, and several players were penalized for their actions. On the Nets, Demin, Mann, and Porter Jr. were awarded technical fouls. Meanwhile, only O’Neale and Allen were given technicals on the Suns’ side.
Surprisingly, Demin has been getting involved in scuffles early in his NBA career. After a hard foul on James Harden during a game against the Clippers, the Nets’ rookie was shoved by John Collins, leading to Mann stepping in to support his teammate in a similar fashion.
Amidst all the drama, however, Dillon Brooks remained a bystander, staying on the floor and not getting involved in the action. In a way, this was to his benefit, since he had already received a technical foul (his 15th of the season) earlier in the game.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott even praised Dillon Brooks for maintaining his composure during his post-game media availability, stating:
“He held his composure, and that’s not easy to do. He gets to that edge for the benefit of our group so many times. So that actually turned into a positive.”
Needless to say, the collateral damage resulting from the scuffle hardly seems worth it. However, this provided the Suns with an opportunity to cement their victory.
With the ball in their possession, the Suns ran a simple action for Grayson Allen, allowing the veteran guard to score a layup with the clock winding down, sealing the victory for Phoenix.
After beating Brooklyn, Phoenix has improved to 28-19 on the season. Now tied for sixth place in the West, the Suns have a clear shot at securing a place in the top six.
