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By Matt Audilet
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Phoenix Suns secured the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference with a 111-96 NBA Play-In Tournament win over the Golden State Warriors on Friday night.
Phoenix was led by a stellar performance from recent trade addition Jalen Green, who finished the game with 36 points. Veteran enforcer Dillon Brooks finished the contest with 13 points.
As the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference, the Suns secured a first-round playoff against the reigning-champion, No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder.
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After Friday night's game, Brooks sparked some intrigue for this series with a jab at the Thunder.
"There are a lot of foul baiters on that team. We gotta show our hands," Brooks said during a postgame interview on Amazon Prime Video. "I hope it's the real playoffs — not calling too many calls. But you know, show your hands."
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The Thunder, particularly reigning league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, have developed a reputation for hunting for fouls in order to get to the free-throw line. SGA averaged nine free-throw attempts per game through the 2025-26 NBA season, trailing only Luka Doncic and Deni Avdija.
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Brooks followed up his jab with some praise for the reigning NBA champions.
"They shoot it great at home," Brooks added. "There's a reason why they're the No. 1 team in the NBA. We're going to have our hands full with their driving."
Game 1 of this first-round playoff series between the Suns and Thunder will tipoff at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sunday.
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