Midway through the third quarter of Thursday’s game between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies, chaos broke out. Following a foul, Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks rolled on the ground before throwing a backhand into the crotch of Cavs guard Donovan Mitchell. Mitchell responded by throwing the basketball at Brooks before charging at him.
Both players were ultimately ejected from the game. Brooks was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, while Mitchell was thrown out for escalating the incident. After the game, Mitchell had some pointed comments about Brooks.
“That’s just who he is,” said Mitchell. “We have seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I’ve been busting his ass for years. Playoffs. Regular season. And the one game he does an alright job on me today, he decides to do something like that. No place for that in the game. Gotta protect yourself. This has been brewing for years. With me. With other guys in the league. You all see it. This isn’t new. Tonight was just the end of it.”
Mitchell went on to challenge Brooks and said he resorts to cheap tactics when he can’t guard someone.
“This has been a habit for years and this isn’t new to anybody in this room,” Mitchell said. “If you can’t guard somebody then just say that. Just get a switch. You know what I mean?”
