OKLAHOMA CITY — Maybe Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks is onto something here.
Brooks talked after the April 21 practice about looking to “iso” Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Game 2 of the Suns’ playoff series on Wednesday, April 22, at Paycom Center even though his head coach, Jordan Ott, said they can’t play that way versus the defending NBA champions.
“Why not?” said Brooks, when asked why he wants to take Gilgeous-Alexander 1-on1. “He’s a good defender overall, but I just like the matchup. Team Canada, we’ve been going at it for a while. I won’t forget our 1-on-1s that we had in Paris.
“You can ask him who got the best of who, but you see a guy like that going hard on the offensive end all game and trying to get a rest on defense, I’ll find a way make him use his legs, use his hands, use his mind on that defensive end, most of the time, he’s going to break down and then you can go out and make plays.”
“I think it is, but I’m going to iso Shai when I get a chance to.”
Dillon Brooks when asked about Jordan Ott saying the Suns can’t “iso” the Thunder and that being a point of emphasis going into Game 2 as he referencing to fellow Canadian, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“Why not?… pic.twitter.com/HrWdHau9KP
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 21, 2026
The latter part of Brooks’ comments fall in line with what Hall of Famer and NBA champion Gary Payton said on Fanatic Sportsbook’s Hot Take when asked how to guard Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP.
“Luka, he’s going to try to muscle you,” Payton said. “Slow ball you and then all the sudden he’ll step back and hit a shot. You’ve got to frustrate him.”
And Gilgeous-Alexander?
“Shai, I think that he’s so crafty, I would have to go back at him on the other end to tire him out,” Payton said. “You can’t let a person like him get comfortable.”
Fanatics’ Hot Take was presented as an advertisement on Instagram
Ott’s thinking stems from the Suns shooting just 34.9% from the field and committing 19 turnovers that led to 34 Thunder points in Sunday’s 119-84 loss.
“It’s important. Always is important, but especially versus this team. We know how they shift for each other. We know how they help each other on the defensive end. Iso ball will not get it done.”
Devin Booker as Suns face OKC for Game 2 after losing Game 1 by 35 points. #Suns… pic.twitter.com/Z2Vzw0dFs1
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 22, 2026
“We can’t iso this team,” Ott said after Game 1 April 19. “We can’t hold the ball against this team. We can’t take tough 2s all night against this team.”
After Wednesday’s morning shootaround, Devin Booker addressed the importance of ball movement against Oklahoma City with a clear closing point.
“It’s important,” Booker said. “Always is important, but especially versus this team. We know how they shift for each other. We know how they help each other on the defensive end. Iso ball will not get it done.”
Have opinions about the current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-810-5518. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter, at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Dillon Brooks ‘iso’ strategy for SGA similar to Hall of Famer