Memphis Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one sport after hanging Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell within the groin throughout Cleveland’s 128-113 win over Memphis on Thursday evening. The league introduced the punishment on Friday, with Mitchell receiving a $20,00 superb for his function within the ensuing altercation.
Following the sport, each Mitchell and Cavaliers head coach JB Bickerstaff referred to as the incident an inexpensive shot and questioned Brooks’ character.
Brooks was going up for a layup with slightly below six minutes remaining within the third quarter, however his try was altered by Cavaliers massive man Evan Mobley and headed out of bounds. Mitchell was attempting to save lots of the ball, however Brooks, who was on the bottom, hit him within the groin. Mitchell responded by throwing the ball off of Brooks, who was nonetheless on the bottom, and this began a combat between the 2 groups.
“That’s simply who he’s,” Mitchell stated. “We’ve seen it a bunch on this league with him. [He] and I’ve had our private battles for years. Quite frankly, I’ve been busting his ass for years. Playoffs. Regular season. And the one sport he does an all proper job on me as we speak, decides to do one thing like that.
“You know, there isn’t any place within the sport and you’ve got gotta shield your self on the finish of the day, however this has been brewing for years, with me, with different guys within the league,” Mitchell continued. “This is not new. And tonight was simply the tip of it, nevertheless it’s robust when you may’t guard any individual and may’t do one thing with any individual you gotta resort to that and that is what he is performed to plenty of gamers … that is a kind of issues, that is what you resort to, and that is cool, however I’m glad my guys held it down tonight and, you recognize, had my again all through the entire thing.”
Brooks was assessed a flagrant-2 foul, which robotically disqualified him from the sport, and Mitchell was additionally ejected.
“That was an inexpensive shot in a number of methods,” Bickerstaff stated. “You roll a man’s ankle after which clearly no matter was subsequent out of there, a man ought to have the fitting to face up for himself. I assumed Donovan did that. That’s one factor, I’m pleased with our guys, we do not have these guys that begin shit, however we received guys that do not run from shit. You need to on this league, you need to arise for your self. That’s what he did and that is why his teammates had his again.”
Things haven’t been going properly for the Grizzlies of late. They have now misplaced seven of their previous 10 video games, and shedding Brooks to a suspension would solely make issues harder for them. Brooks will likely be a free agent after the season, and incidents like this aren’t going to assist persuade the Grizzlies to decide to him with a long-term contract. Something wants to vary in Memphis if the Grizzlies are going to get again on monitor this season.
