It didn’t take long for the battle between LeBron James and Dillon Brooks to heat up on Wednesday night. During the first quarter of the Lakers-Rockets clash, James showcased his physicality by backing Brooks down to the basket with some old-school, 90’s style post moves.

Brooks was playing good defense on James, but he was no match for the strength of Los Angeles’s superstar, who bullied him all the way to the rim.

Even at age 38, James remains one of the toughest matchups an NBA defender can draw, though Brooks was handling the assignment well early on.

On the ensuing possession, Brooks forced a turnover on James, who had once again attempted to back him down along the baseline.

LeBron and Dillon Brooks going at it 👀 pic.twitter.com/53QhclXZ2w

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 9, 2023

Prior to the game, Brooks spoke about the matchup with James, saying he was “ready to lock him up.” While he was bested along the baseline at first, Brooks responded with a big stop on the defensive end when James attacked him next.

Houston managed to grab an early lead, too, ending the first quarter up 32-19.

Wednesday’s game was the first time Brooks and LeBron squared off since their heated playoff matchup last season, when the former was a member of the Grizzlies.