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Memphis’ Dillon Brooks was ejected three minutes into last night’s Game 2 against the Golden State Warriors after he hit Gary Payton II in the head from behind while Payton was going up for a layup.
The Warriors guard fell awkwardly to the ground and ended up fracturing his elbow on the play and now his status for the rest of the series is in doubt.
Now the NBA needs to do the right thing and suspend Brooks for at least a few games because what he did was not cool at all and severely impacts the Warriors and this tremendous series because Payton is a key defensive player who had the best chance of at least trying to contain Ja Morant, who had 47 points in the Grizzlies’ Game 2 win last night in Memphis.
Here’s the play in case you missed it.
Gary Payton II suffered a fractured elbow in GM2 after this foul by Dillon Brooks.
Steve Kerr: “Brooks broke the code.”
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 4, 2022
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was rightfully furious after the game, saying Brooks “broke the code.”
“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said. “There is a code. This code that players follow where you never put a guy’s season [or] career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in midair and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow… He broke the code. Dillon Brooks “broke the code.”
Kerr was also heard yelling, “Get the (expletive) out of here, Brooks!” moments after the play, according to ESPN.
Brooks’ Flagrant 2 was a lot worse than the soft Flagrant 2 Draymond Green got in Game 1. It was a dirty play that deserves a much more severe penalty than just missing most of last night’s game.
It’s also a play that adds even more storylines to this series that has been a fantastic on thus far. Morant and Co. vs. Steph Curr and Co. has been electric and it should be crazy Saturday night at the Chase Center when the Warriors will look to take a 2-1 series lead at home.
It’s a shame Payton won’t be a part of that game and there’s no way Brooks should be a part of it, too.
We’ll have to wait and see if the NBA agrees.
Quick hits: NFL’s best 20 remaining free agents… Kentucky Derby horses ranked by name… Blue Jays fan’s classy move… And more.
– With the NFL draft over, Christian D’Andrea looks at the best free agents that are still available, including Rob Gronkowski.
– My pal Charles Curtis hilariously ranks every horse in this year’s Kentucky Derby by name.
– A Blue Jays fan did something pretty classy for a young Yankees fan after catching a home run ball.
– Draymond Green had a hilarious line about flipping off the fans in Memphis last night.
– Formula 1 is in Miami this weekend and Michelle Martinelli explains why there will be a fake marina with boats along the track. Also, these photos of the setup in Miami are pretty sweet.
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