Dillon Brooks and the Memphis Grizzlies battled the number-one seed, Denver Nuggets in a Western Conference heavy-weight bout. The Grizzlies controlled the first half as they went into halftime with an eight point lead. However, the second half told a much different story. Despite the Nuggets struggling from beyond the arc, Denver came out swinging in the third quarter and showed the number two seeded Memphis Grizzlies why they were the best in the west as of right now. However, there were other notable storylines from this game. One of which was Dillon Brooks receiving his 16th technical foul of the season. As a result, he will be forced to be miss the next game. A key game where his team will battle a desperate Los Angeles Clippers squad.
Dillon Brooks to be Suspended One Game After 16th Technical Foul of Season
Dillon Brooks Receives 16th Technical Foul After Altercation with Nuggets Superstar, Nikola Jokic
Brooks got into with the reigning two-time MVP, Nikola Jokic in the fourth quarter. The incident occurred when the momentum was starting to shift in Denver’s favor. With this in mind, this very well could have been a case of frustration setting in not just for the Grizzlies, but for Brooks as well.
Jokic was (rightfully) upset over Dillon Brooks slightly yanking his arm while boxing out. Easy double tech, but Brooks is out for next game with too many techs on the season 🤦♀️ pic.twitter.com/x21v2IryZc
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) March 4, 2023
As one can see, the altercation occurred after a box out between the two players. Jokic had the position, but Brooks yanked the Nuggets’ center’s arm just enough to get a reaction. Jokic reacted and then tensions started to brew. The officials were there right away to diffuse the situation and a double technical was assessed. One technical foul was given to Nikola Jokic and one was given to Dillon Brooks. What was significant about this though was that this was Brooks’ 16th technical of the year. Under current NBA rules, once a player reaches 16 technical fouls, they are automatically suspended one game. On top of this, Brooks will also be forced to pay a $5,000 fine.
Brooks’ Impact on the Memphis Grizzlies
While Brooks will only be gone for a game, they will still miss his defensive impact. He has been an integral part to their success this season. He was guarding Jamal Murray for the majority of the time in their latest matchup. It was not until the fourth quarter that Murray got hot. While matched up with the Kentucky product, Brooks made Murray work for every point. He is the one the Grizzlies rely on to guard every team’s best perimeter player, so his importance does not go unnoticed for this Grizzlies squad. Dillon Brooks may only miss one game, but his temper is something to watch going into the playoffs.
