Following the Houston Rockets’ 117-98 win over the Phoenix Suns on Friday, former Sun Kevin Durant complimented Dillon Brooks for his role as a leader on the Suns.
“You can see his impact over there in Phoenix,” Durant said postgame. “He’s commanding a group and guys are listening to him. He’s pretty much stepped up and become a leader over there. Along with him and Booker, they’ve become vocal leaders.”
Durant and Brooks played their first game against each other on Friday since the blockbuster seven-team trade in the offseason that sent Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns and Durant to the Rockets. Durant shined as he scored 28 points (on 11-of-17 shooting) in a game where he became the eighth player in NBA history to score 31,000 career points.
Brooks led the Suns with 23 points (on 10-of-24 shooting) and four assists as Phoenix were without Green (right hamstring strain) and Devin Booker (right groin strain) in the loss.
Durant said that there are similarities in Brooks’ role as a leader for the Suns compared to when he was with the Rockets. He praised Brooks for his role in changing the culture of the team and the success the team has seen over the last couple of seasons.
“I think Dillon impacts a young team, a team that’s trying to go from being disrespected throughout the year to a respected group,” Durant said. “I think it was a real group effort to get the Houston Rockets to where they were the last couple years. I think Dillon was definitely a piece. I wouldn’t say he was the main reason but it felt like he was a piece to what they’re doing here.
“He’s getting better as a player and more vocal as a player and more confident as a player and it probably started from here.”
