The 2026 NBA playoffs are here, which means teams are going to get really comfortable with each other over the next couple of weeks. That's what happens when you're facing the same group of guys every other day in high-intensity games with all the stakes on the line.One game in, the Oklahoma City Thunder have learned about Dillon Brooks' gimmicks. They picked up a 119-84 Game 1 win over the Phoenix Suns.
So far, the Round 1 series has gone chalk. The reigning NBA champions cruise to a 1-0 lead.After the Suns punched their playoff ticket in a play-in tournament win over the Golden State Warriors, Brooks guaranteed they'd steal Game 1. Eh.
Can't be too mad. Nothing wrong with feeling confident — especially in a David-Goliath situation like this.And then Brooks poked the bear once more. Before Game 1's tip-off, he refused to hand the ball over to Chet Holmgren.
Instead, he took a couple of steps backward before he flung it over to Devin Booker. The type of petty move went viral online.Saying it with a sly smile, Holmgren doesn't blame Brooks. By this point, the Thunder should've known a couple of antagonistic jabs from Brooks were inevitable.
That's kinda his superpower. It's what helps him carve out a successful NBA career.A couple of days after his troll job on Holmgren, Brooks addressed the pregame miscellaneous activity. He kept his poker face on with a short-handed answer."I just got a routine for what I do at the beginning of the game," Brooks said.
"I didn't want to ruin that."Brooks detailed his routine. He said he's kept the ball to himself until the NBA referee asks for it to start the game. His one exception?
A game against his old squad, the Houston Rockets. Since then, he's refused to make the same mistake twice."One time in this season, I gave the ball to the guy and regretted it," Brooks said. "I didn't want to do it this time."You gotta love Brooks' antics.
It's what endeared him to the three NBA franchises and infuriated the rest of the league's fanbases. He's enjoyed a career year on the Suns as a 20-point scorer. After being in a complete mess the last couple of years, he's helped Phoenix rise from the ashes to a solid foundation.We'll see how Game 2 plays out.
The Thunder should be favored to go up 2-0, but don't expect the Suns to fall by as many as 39 points. You just don't see that in the NBA playoffs. Expect a closer game.
And if it plays out like that, Brooks could further cement himself as an OKC villain — at least until this Round 1 series ends.Dillon Brooks on refusing to give Chet Holmgren the ball before tip-off of Game 1: “I just got a routine I do before the game. I didn’t want to ruin that.” pic.twitter.com/pl2Y8gLjhN— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) April 21, 2026This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Dillon Brooks didn't want to ruin 'routine' in Game 1 viral moment