LeBron James not trading trash talk with Dillon Brooks before Game 3

EL SEGUNDO,Calif. (AP) — LeBron James has seemed wise beyond his years sincethe start of his basketball journey, and he wasn’t about to dropdown to Dillon Brooks’ level of discourse heading into a pivotalgame for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Jamesdeclined to respond to the Memphis Grizzlies’ top agitator Fridayafter Brooks said the top scorer in NBA history was “old” followingGame 2 of the teams’ first-round playoff series, which resumesSaturday night in Los Angeles.

The38-year-old James patiently parried several questions about Brooks’comments and about the importance of trash talk in general beforeabruptly cutting short his media session at the Lakers’ trainingcomplex. James never said Brooks’ name, but he clearly knew who’sbehind the narrative trying to push its way into a competitiveseries after two eventful games in Memphis.

“I’m ready toplay,” James said. “That’s it.”

Theseventh-seeded Lakers’ visit from the Grizzlies is the second gameof a Saturday doubleheader at the downtown Los Angeles arena longknown as Staples Center. The short-handed Clippers tip off againstthe Suns in Game 4 about 6 1/2 hours earlier, with Phoenix lookingto claim a daunting 3-1 series lead with a second straight roadwin.

Also Saturdayin Eastern Conference play, the Philadelphia 76ers will look tosweep the Brooklyn Nets in Game 4 before the Heat host thetop-seeded Bucks in Game 3 with their series even at 1-1 afterMiami swiped the opener in Milwaukee.

James has wonfour NBA titles and four league MVP awards on top of practicallyevery other achievement possible in the modern game during his 20seasons. The 27-year-old Brooks, who is older than the median andaverage ages of current NBA players, has won one playoff series inhis six-year career.

So a resumecompetition would be a blowout victory for James, but he wasn’tabout to play any such games with Brooks, who described his overallphilosophy after Game 2 as: “I poke bears.”

“At the endof the day, there’s 10 guys on the floor,” James said. “They’re oneof the best defensive teams in the league, and we have to respectthat. No matter who is out in a Grizzlies uniform during thatparticular time, during that quarter, during that minute, we’ve gotto respect everybody and we’ve got to execute offensively.”

James will goback to work against Brooks and the Grizzlies on a landmark nightin Lakers history: For the first time in 10 years, and for thefirst time with James and Anthony Davis on the roster, this 17-timeNBA champion franchise will hold a playoff game in front of acapacity home crowd.

The Lakersmissed the playoffs in six consecutive seasons after losing in thefirst round to San Antonio in 2013, and their 2020 championship runoccurred in the Florida bubble. They hosted three playoff games ina first-round loss to the Phoenix Suns in 2021, but attendance wascapped at less than half-capacity due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“I’m lookingforward to it,” James said.

Ja Morant’savailability for Game 3 is still unclear after he missed Game 2with a sore right hand, but the Grizzlies star appears to beimproving quickly. He went through a noncontact practice andindividual drills Friday in Los Angeles, but coach Taylor Jenkinssaid they’ll wait until game time to decide whether he’ll play.

76ERS ATNETS

76ers lead3-0. Game 4, 1 p.m. EDT, TNT

— NEED TOKNOW: Philadelphia star Joel Embiid will sit out because of asprained right knee. The 76ers added the All-Star center to theinjury report Friday night, a night after he was limping multipletimes during their Game 3 victory. Philadelphia can earn somevaluable rest before the second round by finishing off theNets.

— KEEP AN EYEON: The Sixers have dominated even with relatively pedestriancontributions from two-time scoring champion and MVP candidateEmbiid, who had only 14 points in Game 3.

— PRESSURE ISON: Brooklyn, obviously. A tumultuous Nets season will end inignominious fashion if they can’t take at least one game off thepowerhouse Sixers.

SUNS ATCLIPPERS

Suns lead2-1. Game 4, 3:30 p.m. EDT, TNT

— NEED TOKNOW: The Clippers announced late Friday that Kawhi Leonard willmiss his second straight game with a right knee sprain. Los Angelescoach Tyronn Lue made two game plans depending on whether the quietsuperstar could play, but the Clips will have to attempt to winagain without their two best players.

— KEEP AN EYEON: Devin Booker. He is averaging 36.3 points per game in theseries, and the Suns star invariably plays with an extra spring inhis step in the building once called home by his hero, KobeBryant.

— INJURYWATCH: “If (Leonard) is not back, we have to rally around eachother, support each other, find ways to make something happen.”Russell Westbrook, who had 30 points in the Clippers’ loss in Game3. ... Phoenix’s Cam Payne is questionable with low backsoreness.

— PRESSURE ISON: The Clippers’ supporting cast, which will attempt to conjure anupset with Leonard back on the shelf. Leonard missed all of lastseason and played in just 52 games this season to stay in top shapefor the playoffs. Clippers fans are growing increasinglydiscontented as they wait for Leonard and Paul George to deliverfour years into their partnership.

BUCKS ATHEAT

Series tied1-1. Game 3, 7:30 p.m. EDT, ESPN

— NEED TOKNOW: The Heat are only 12-11 in their last 23 home playoff games,excluding the “home” games from the bubble in 2020. Among those 11losses: defeats by 17 and 29 points to the Bucks in 2021. The Heatwere 27-14 at home this season, plus 1-1 in the play-in tournament,while Milwaukee was an NBA-best 26-15 on the road.

— KEEP AN EYEON: The 3-point line. Milwaukee made 25 3s in Game 2, and that waswithout Giannis Antetokounmpo around the basket for the Heat toworry about. There’s no way the Bucks are losing when they’remaking that many 3s.

— INJURYWATCH: All eyes on Antetokounmpo, whose back contusion knocked himout of Game 1 early and kept him out of Game 2 entirely. Miamiobviously won’t have Tyler Herro, who will be recovering fromsurgery to repair the right hand that he broke in Game 1.

— PRESSURE ISON: Miami. Milwaukee routed the Heat in Game 2 without their bestplayer even in uniform. Miami has to respond.