Brooks calls himself NBA's 'best perimeter defender' after Luka showdown

Houston Rockets wing Dillon Brooks didn't hold back about his performance for Canada in the World Cup quarterfinals against Slovenia and, more specifically, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic.

One day after pushing his country to the semifinals with a 100-89 victory that was buoyed by his stifling defense against the tournament's leading scorer, Brooks made a bold statement about his ability on that end of the floor.

"I'm the best perimeter defender in this tournament, in the world, in the NBA," Brooks told Sportal's Christos Tsaltas.

After garnering a reputation as an enigmatic presence during his time with the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooks lived up to his billing in Manila.

On the good side, Brooks limited Doncic to 26 points on 20 shot attempts and a 4-of-14 mark inside the arc. Doncic committed three turnovers, only got to the line seven times, and was ejected for two technical fouls after complaining to the referees. Brooks, meanwhile, contributed 14 points, with three 3-pointers on the offensive end.

On the bad side, Brooks' usual trash talking and emotional play on the court saw him also get ejected with the game still in hand during the fourth quarter.

Canada's head coach, Jordi Fernandez, commented on the good and the bad, saying Brooks "has to be better" in regards to the ejection, but that his performance against Doncic was a "defensive clinic," according to BasketNews' Donatas Urbonas.

Brooks' reputation as an elite defender was largely why he earned a four-year, $86-million contract from the Rockets. It was reported that the Grizzlies had no interest in bringing back the former Oregon wing following a rough playoff run that saw him struggle to score while getting into it with Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.

With the semifinals of the FIBA World Cup set for Friday, Brooks will likely be tasked with defending Serbia's leading scorer, Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic.