Dillon Brooks, Rockets cannot develop the noise at loss for the Lakers: “Most of the game is mental”

Los Angeles – There is a part of the routine prayer of Dillon Brooks who has little to do with the preparation for the action of the game and all to do with the mental aspect of basketball.

Before each heating, at least six or seven coaches and players’ development coaches will form a semicircle around Brooks, which is located directly under the basket. As soon as Brooks touches the ball, the staff members scream, launch insults and speak of garbage directly in the ear while trying to convert layups and floats around the edge – imitating how an opponent’s crowd would sound.

The point of the “drill” is not to see how many shots that Brooks can do in the limited area. It is a matter of channeling its attention, blocking the noise and finding the mental edge necessary to complete a task.

At eight years in his career, Brooks is not foreign to noise. It is foreseen. Welcomed. Dear. I don’t gain nicknames like “the bad” being loved. And on Monday evening, behind the enemy lines, Brooks was far from loved.

Before Typeff, Brooks walked aside as a monitor in the room looking for Planagrane. During the player’s presentations, Brooks was intentionally called Last, he met a crescendo on the increase in whistles before his full name could be completed by the Annuncier. And during the game, Brooks could be seen in Cuoio with Lebron James, Luka Dončić, the Lakers bench – and anyone else in the building that would have given an ear.

But in the last seconds of the loss of Houston Rockets 104-98 on Monday, Brooks had the opportunity to cut the deficit at one point. And while the 29 year old was on the free shooting line, the external noise returned, becoming stronger with every second.

Brooks lost his first free shot. He would continue to do the second, but at that moment, the Rockets were chasing a ghost, forced to play the game foul and hoping that the Lakers had slipped. They did not do it. Monday’s game was physical, but Houston’s inability to win the mental game – a free crunchtime shot was missing in a night when the team lost only three – it cost them.

“All the fouls at hand on (Luka) Dončić soon, those things add up,” said the coach of Rockets Ime Udoka. “Some of the Pick-and-pop with (Dorian) Finney-Smith when they were small, outside six, had three 3S angles wide open-e (Gabe) Vincent, help on the weak side for any reason. You will live with some, but those that we would not have had to give up making the difference in a game like this. So, keeping our goal.”

In the void, the Rockets made enough to win this game. James and Dončić joined 36 points on shooting 11 out of 28 with six turnover of each other. Their defense also kept the Lakers at 39.3 percent by shooting from the field and checked the bounce battle. In any scouting report focused on Lakers, James and Dončić are at the top of the order of operations and all the things considered, those three subsections Should It is based to obtain the rockets on the hump.

But Brooks, who has been to the post -station three times in his career, knows that there is much more in winning an NBA match. Monday’s loss has been close to a playoff game like Rockets will experience between today and the end of the regular season. Physicality was the theme of the night, with multiple bumps and pushes of a wrestling game.

And the length of the Lakers annoyed Houston’s backccourt with Fred Vanvleet and Jalen Green who combine for only 16 points in the shooting of 6 out of 27. In a game that donated to a slugfest, the margins would determine the result, a lesson in Brooks was taught on numerous occasions. Mental game.

“It’s the planning of the game,” Brooks said Atletico. “Knowing your staff and what the guys want to do, how quickly we can adapt. And, you know, most of the game is still mental – it doesn’t matter if they are playoffs or a normal game. It’s mental.”

The Rockets (49-27) did not grant too land in the Western Conference race, with a slight advantage on the Nuggets and Lakers, which sit 1/2 and 2 1/2 respectively. And above all, in Houston it was remembered to the versatility and defensive value of Brooks who will surely return useful next month.

According to Ball-Index, Brooks ranks in the 100th percentile in overall defensive versatility, at 94 ° in defense of isolation, at the 97th percentile in the time spent protecting the level 1 and 94 ° percentile use players in the past time to protect the level 2 use players. Brooks is vital for the defensive configuration of Houston, which is still third efficient, Clean the glass.

The Lakers spent most of the game trying to remove Brooks from James and Dončić, chasing misalignments elsewhere. Brooks, who is one of the main NBA screen navigators, has done an excellent job being an irritating, combining James’ physicality and not falling victim to some of the in-game buffering that have afflicted him in the past.

And it certainly helps Brooks is not the only defensive stalwart on the perimeter. The second year Ala Amen Thompson is equal of physical and tenacious parts and offers udoka options depending on the opposing staff. Brooks often refers to Thompson as his twin because of their shared defensive responsibilities and slowing down James and Dončić in this degree is commendable, especially with the playoffs on the horizon.

“Take very proud,” said Brooks. “And it’s not just me, it’s” twin “, it’s Tari (Eason), Fred (Vanvleet). We are changing, so everyone is on everyone. We know exactly what they want to do. Their bench players hit some shots.”

But as mentioned, marginal errors can make snowballs. As the season has progressed, the Rockets have become more comfortable with the defense of the area of ​​playing, trusting on the background line of Steven Adams, Jabari Smith Jr. and Alperere şengün. If there is an area of ​​an area 2-3 that should be explained, it is the corners. But in too many occasions, the faults in communication allowed the Lakers to take advantage of the Rockets scheme.

The errors at the end of March are inevitable; Vincent and Finney-Smith do not convert 12 3S to a couple in too many games. But for Houston to achieve the objectives they have set themselves, mental drops cannot occur. April errors do not arrive with the second possibility.

“These are these games,” said Brooks. “Atmosphere of the playoffs. By watching the film, knowing exactly what they will see in a series of playoffs. Or even when the teams make changes, you will see that type of game. Just review it and be ready.”

(Photo by Dillon Brooks and Lebron James: Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)