April 2, 2026, 11:12 a.m. MT
CHARLOTTE – Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks is focused on a playoff push and finding his rhythm and on-court place with the team.
Understandable.
He made his return on March 31 against the Orlando Magic after missing 18 consecutive games with a fractured left hand.
Seventh in the West, Phoenix (42-33) went 9-9 in those 18 games Brooks missed.
During that absence, Brooks was arrested for suspicion of driving under the influence in the early morning of March 6 in Scottsdale after the Suns lost to the Chicago Bulls at Mortgage Matchup Center.
“Yeah, I’m just focused on basketball,” Brooks said after the team’s morning shootaround on April 2, prior to the Suns continuing their four-game road trip on Thursday, April 2, against the Charlotte Hornets.
“Don’t want any distraction now. We’re making a playoff run and that’s what I’m focused on.”
Brooks took a field sobriety test, was arrested at 1:33 a.m. and taken to Scottsdale City Jail, where he was booked and released about 3:30 a.m.
“(Expletive) happens, but we’re here to talk about basketball,” Brooks added.
Brooks apologized to the team later that day, March 6, before the Suns faced the New Orleans Pelicans at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix
“Just hate to see it for him, but he’s human,” Suns guard Collin Gillespie said after the 118-116 win over the Pelicans.
“We’re all humans. We’re not above anybody else. We all make mistakes. He knows that. He owned it,” Gillespie said. “He apologized to the team, but we got his back. Human beings make mistakes, we all make mistakes. Learn from it. He’s just in the public eye more than any other regular human being. That stuff goes on every day and you just don’t hear about it from other people because it’s not ‘Dillon Brooks’ per se.”
Coach Jordan Ott echoed the supportive message for Brooks before the Magic game.
“We love Dillon,” Ott said. “We know what he brings on the court as a basketball player and how competitive he is out there. He’s one of our own. We love when he’s out there competing. We love what he brings to this organization.”
Brooks acknowledged the Suns’ support.
“They got my back,” he said.
With the arrest past tense and the left hand ready to go, Brooks played for the first time in nearly a month.
He fractured his non-shooting hand Feb. 21, ironically against the Magic in Phoenix.
“Felt good,” Brooks said about his return. “A lot of excitement. Can’t wait to get back in my rhythm.”
Brooks scored nine points on 4-of-13 shooting and committed five fouls in the 115-111 loss to the Magic.
“I think he looked good,” Suns guard Jordan Goodwin said. “Turned the ball over a couple of times, but he hadn’t played in what, a month. You kind of expect that, but he’ll be fine. He’ll be fine. He’s a dog. He works hard for us. He’ll be fine.”
Brooks brought his usual intensity and energy from the start as he picked up a technical foul within the first two minutes of the game against the Magic.
The veteran forward now has an NBA-leading 17 technical fouls. If he receives another one, Brooks will serve another one-game suspension.
“Definitely on brand,” Suns All-Star Devin Booker said after the Magic game. “He started off, I feel like he woke both teams up to start the game. Could’ve been a reason the game was ugly all the way through.”
Brooks finished his first game back with five fouls in 22 minutes of action. Playing 10 minutes and 17 seconds of the fourth quarter, Brooks shot 1-of-7 from the field in the game’s final 12 minutes.
“Just glad he’s out there,” Ott said after the game. “Seemed to come out healthy. No hits on that thing. He’ll get all that other stuff. Just good to have him out there.”
Brooks is averaging a career-high 20.6 points in his first season with the Suns.
He’s been the driving force in the culture shift and surprise season in Phoenix, but Brooks is now in a position of having to re-establish his play within the team concept.
“I just got to fit in,” Brooks said. “I got to pick my spots where I go, where I drive, make plays for teammates and myself and get my wind back.”
Brooks wore a bandage on his left hand in the Magic game.
“It feels fine,” Brooks said. “It just helps protect. Takes away probably some force and impact from hits and stuff like that, but I’ll wear it for the next two weeks.”
Brooks admitted the bandage does impact the feel of the ball in terms of dribbling.
“Just keep working at it,” Brooks said. “I’ll be able to in the long run make tough shots and be able to handle the ball a lot better.”
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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