The Rockets came away with a crucial 119-105 win over the Suns after being down by as many as 21 points right after the first quarter. Kevin Durant led all scorers for Houston with 24 points, four rebounds, and three assists in Tuesday’s performance (8-20 FG, 40.0 FG%, 5-9 3P, 55.5 3P%).
Following the game, Durant spoke to the media and addressed his back-and-forth with Dillon Brooks in the second quarter that ultimately saw the former Rockets player stumble to the ground on a swifty move from Durant.
“No, not at all, I’m not giving him that. He doesn’t get that type of credit with me,” said Durant on whether trash-talking with Dillon Brooks got him going. “Maybe some other guys that may turn up cause he talks to them, but he’s not that important, especially with me to get me going.”
“I wake up going and ready to play, but I respect Dillon. I respect what he brings to the game. I think that gets him going more than me. I just happened to get that ball right afterwards and make a good move, but it wasn’t in spite of Dillon, and I wanted to show him up.”
“He’s not that much of a concern to me, but I respect how he approaches the game and what he does. And that’s valuable to him, and that makes him a better player, but for me, it has nothing to do with my game.”
As much as this moment went viral after the game, it did not mean the same thing to Durant as most of his trash-talking in the game, as he claims it wasn’t just a way for him to fuel himself and find motivation.
KD had words for Dillon Brooks before he sent him stumbling.pic.twitter.com/e5EJfF78zw
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) April 8, 2026
Instead, he acted as if he took the higher moral ground and respected the way Brooks tried to motivate himself by initiating those exchanges with Durant. And while Durant said nothing but facts and showed him some respect, he phrased it in a way that put Brooks in his place.
He felt that it was Brooks who was trying to get himself going by trash-talking Durant and not the other way around. And one cannot deny that Brooks has a habit of going after the opposition’s best player on defence and targeting them in unconventional ways.
Extended exchange between Dillon Brooks and Kevin Durant in the first half. Any lip readers out there? pic.twitter.com/LpLJrs6VnE
— PHNX Suns (@PHNX_Suns) April 8, 2026
Brooks had a rough night on the floor, finishing with just 10 points, three rebounds, and one assist against his former team. He shot 3-12 from the floor (25.0 FG%) and 1-7 from beyond the arc (14.3 3P%). The Suns’ player did not speak to the media after the game as the Rockets got the last laugh with the win.
The Rockets tied their record (50-29) with the Lakers following this win, but are fifth in the standings since Los Angeles has the tiebreaker over Houston.
They extended their winning streak to seven games in their last road game of the year and are now headed home. The Rockets face the 76ers (April 9), the Timberwolves (April 10), and the Grizzlies (April 12) in their final three games of the regular season.
Meanwhile, the Suns have essentially guaranteed a seventh seed finish in the West. They are now going to host the Mavericks in their final home game of the season tonight (April 8).
