Dillon Brooks' Memphis Grizzlies tenure ended on a whimper, with the team basically scapegoating Brooks for their first-round exit against the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 NBA playoffs. There were even reports that stated that the Grizzlies will not be bringing Brooks back in free agency under any circumstance. However, on Friday night, in his first game back in FedEx Forum since his offseason move to the Houston Rockets, Brooks had the last laugh — at the expense of former teammate Desmond Bane.

With around nine minutes left in what turned out to be a 103-96 win for the Rockets, Bane found himself defending Brooks in one possession. The Grizzlies guard had Brooks on lock, forcing a turnover. This got Bane hyped up, and in the heat of the moment, he went straight onto Brooks' face and talked some smack, which earned him a technical foul.

In such a close game, the struggling Grizzlies cannot afford to give up free points like Desmond Bane did in a tense moment. This is what Dillon Brooks wants; the Rockets wing pushes the referees' limits with his antics, getting into the heads of his opponents in the process, and if the opposition reacts, then that, in and of itself, is a huge win for Brooks.

But on Friday night, Brooks wasn't just an instigator. He looked like he is well worth the huge contract the Rockets gave him in free agency with a dynamic two-way performance. The 27-year old wing led the Rockets in scoring with 26 points, and on a night where just one Houston rotation player other than Brooks shot over 50 percent from the field (Tari Eason went 4-8), going 10-20 from the floor was a godsend.

With the Rockets' win over the Grizzlies on Friday, they have moved to 13-9 on the season, looking like a gritty, defense-first team that's taking after Dillon Brooks' identity. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies have fallen to 6-18, looking rudderless without Brooks amid Ja Morant's 25-game absence despite Desmond Bane's best efforts.