MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks was ejected less than three minutes into Tuesday night’s 106-101 win over the Golden State Warriors for a flagrant foul 2 that left Gary Payton II with a broken elbow, marking the second straight game in this second-round series that a starter was ejected for a flagrant 2.
Brooks was chasing down Payton from behind on a fastbreak layup when he hit the Warriors guard in the head in the air with 9:08 left in the first quarter. Payton went down hard and remained down for several minutes. After officials reviewed the play, Brooks was ejected.
Payton underwent X-rays on his left elbow, and the Warriors ruled him out. After the game, they said he suffered a fractured left elbow. He will undergo an MRI on Wednesday for further evaluation of the injury.
How much time Payton will miss is yet to be determined, but no matter how long he is sidelined, his absence is a major blow to the Warriors.
Warriors coach Steve Kerr was livid when the foul happened, screaming at the officiating crew. When Brooks was ejected, Kerr could be heard yelling, “Get the f— out of here, Brooks!”
“I don’t know if it was intentional, but it was dirty,” Kerr said after the game. “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 mid-air and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary’s elbow … He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”
Earlier this season, when the NBA decided to suspend Grayson Allen after he was assessed a flagrant 2 on Alex Caruso, the league did take into consideration that an injury occurred on the play; it was announced a day after the game that Caruso had suffered a right wrist fracture.
The league is expected to speak with members of the Warriors and Grizzlies over the next few days — ahead of Game 3 on Saturday — to decide if Brooks will be suspended.
“It was kind of out of line…
Source : espn
