From a standings perspective, Dillon Brooks is in a better place with the Houston Rockets (13-9) than he would be in Memphis, where he spent his first six NBA seasons with the Grizzlies (6-18).
But that doesn’t mean that his first return to FedExForum as a visiting player wasn’t emotional. Brooks’ eyes appeared to well up during a first-half tribute video, and in postgame comments, the defensive minded forward acknowledged the significance of Friday’s game.
“I don’t want to lose to Memphis ever in my career,” Brooks told reporters postgame. “Regardless of how we get it, if I go get 20 or if I have zero points, I want to win every single time we play Memphis… just to let them know they made a little mistake.”
All in all, it was a happy homecoming for Brooks, who scored a team-high 26 points for the Rockets and hit the dagger 3-pointer against his old team in the game’s final minute. Of those 26 points, 24 came in the second half as Houston stormed back from an early 17-point deficit and secured its fifth consecutive victory.
Scroll on for highlights and further reaction.
Dillon Brooks returns to Memphis
Dillon Brooks stayed LOCKED IN prior to facing his former team, even when Vince Williams Jr asked “Hey, can I get some love?” 😂 pic.twitter.com/Mi6sL87Wfs
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) December 16, 2023
🐻 24 🐻 pic.twitter.com/MOqCz9uJfX
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) December 16, 2023
Dillon Brooks to @TheAthletic on his dagger 3 in his first game back in Memphis:
“It’s a lot of emotion. A lot of things I’ve been holding in and just wanted to release…It just felt good with my people in the arena, watching me play.”https://t.co/jFDCzAxbmH
— Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) December 16, 2023
