NBA stars from Mississauga and Hamilton go head-to-head in playoffs

Two of the NBA’s most exciting players are embroiled in a heated first-round playoff matchup south of the border — and they’re both from southern Ontario.

Representing Mississauga, his birthplace, is Dillon Brooks, a top-scoring forward for the Phoenix Suns who dropped 30 points on Wednesday night — including five three-pointers — in a Game 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The other guy? Well, his basketball resume is a tad more impressive. As was his performance last night on home court.

Already a league MVP, NBA Finals MVP (last year), regular-season scoring champ (2024-25 season) and more recently the new record-holder for most consecutive games with 20-plus points, Toronto-born and Hamilton-raised Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate superstar who’s attempting to lead the Thunder to their second consecutive NBA title.

The 6-foot-6 guard netted a game-high 37 points, adding five rebounds and nine assists, to spark Oklahoma City to a 120-107 victory over the Suns on Wednesday and a 2-0 lead in games in the best-of-seven playoff series.

Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 25 points and seven assists in leading his club to a 119-84 Game 1 triumph on Sunday, also in Oklahoma City. Brooks found the net for 18 points and eight rebounds in that contest.

The teams now travel to Phoenix for Game 3 on Saturday. Game 4 goes Monday night, also in the desert.

Toronto-born and Hamilton-raised Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate NBA superstar. He’s looking to lead OKC to a second consecutive NBA title.

Back on March 12, Gilgeous-Alexander scored 35 points in a 104-102 win over the Boston Celtics to set a new NBA mark with 20 or more points in 127 consecutive games.

His performance that night broke the record that had been held for 63 years by NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain.

“It’s still a lot to even wrap my head around,” Gilgeous-Alexander, 27, told NBA.com after tying the streak one game earlier. “To be honest with you, I try not to even think about it, especially during the season. So much is going on, and so many things have to go right for you to get what you ultimately want. But obviously being in the conversation with a guy like (Chamberlain) is special.”

The Canadian basketball star attended both St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School and later Sir Allan MacNab Secondary School in Hamilton before transferring, ironically enough, to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Tennessee.

From there, the highly recruited Gilgeous-Alexander chose the University of Kentucky, where his game continued to improve as he collected more accolades for his ability to put up numbers that turned him into a first-round selection (11th overall) in the 2018 NBA Draft.

He was selected by the Charlotte Hornets, then quickly traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on draft night. After his rookie season, he was dealt to the Thunder — and the rest is history.

Mississauga-born Dillon Brooks, of the Phoenix Suns, recorded his first career 40-point game earlier this year. (Photo: NBA)

The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Brooks also enjoyed a career night earlier this year when he scored 40 points in a 114-96 win over the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 29. It was the first time the 30-year-old hit that scoring mark in his career, which began in 2017.

Known throughout his NBA years as a physical defender, Brooks stepped up his offensive game this season, averaging a career-best 20.2 points per game. It’s the most in his nine-year career that has seen him spend time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and now the Suns.

— with files from Steve Pecar