Fresh off an exhilarating win over the Los Angeles Lakers, the OKC Thunder headed down to Space City to square off against the Houston Rockets in a Sunday night showdown.
Two of the hottest teams in the Western Conference standings, naturally their matchup was expected to be as close to must-see TV as NBA games can get during the first quarter of the season.
Fortunately, their bout didn't disappoint, as fans were treated to a true thriller through all 48 minutes of action.
From star talents living up to their top-billed statuses to crunch-time moments by both ball clubs, many attention-grabbing and all-around noteworthy happenings took place during the contest.
However, arguably the most buzzed-about sequence of events came underway late in the fourth period when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dillon Brooks got tied up while fighting for a loose ball.
After coming down with a defensive rebound following a missed three-point attempt by Fred VanVleet, Gilgeous-Alexander would collide with a determined Brooks, who proceeded to wrestle with the superstar for possession of the rock with the game tied at 113 a piece.
Dillon Brooks and Shai what just happened?! 😅
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 2, 2024
An intense moment turns into them... laughing 😂 pic.twitter.com/WyaobJS5XN
Initially seen as a scrum-fueling act, as multiple members from both teams would go on to enter into the loose-ball fight, both Brooks and Gilgeous-Alexander outwardly displayed surprisingly jubilant expressions on their faces despite the physical nature of the exchange.
Following the contest, one in which the Thunder were downed by a final score of 119-116, the OKC guard was asked to provide some further context into the seemingly intense moment between him and the Rockets wing.
In a rather straightforward and minimalistic manner, SGA downplayed things by suggesting it was nothing more than a battle for the ball, saying: “Jumpball. Nothing else.”
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander downplays Dillon Brooks scrum
At face value, the on-court brouhaha could easily have been seen as yet another one of Dillon Brooks' over-the-top efforts to rattle the cage of an opposing player. Throughout his eight-year career, the 28-year-old has built up a reputation as an avid trash talker and one of the game's most loathed villains.
However, to provide some context, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Brooks have a well-documented personal relationship with one another. Both are native to the Great White North and served as key members of Canada's men's national basketball team during the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Because of this, it should come as little surprise that the two were overtly joyous when battling for possession during the final minute of regulation. While it may have seemed a bit contemptuous at first, as alluded to by the Thunder cornerstone, it was all just friendly competition.