Donovan Mitchell goes OFF on Dillon Brooks in press conference after huge fight in-game that saw both ejected
Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell was ejected with 5:48 remaining in the third quarter of Thursday’s 128-113 win over Memphis. This came after Mitchell instigated a fight with Grizzlies wing Dillon Brooks, who elbowed him in the groin while trying to recover a loose ball. The altercation included Mitchell throwing the ball at Brooks before shoving him to the ground. Brooks was also ejected for his role in the altercation. Following the game, Mitchell then had some strong words for Brooks, as he explained that he’s been dominating their matchups for years.
“That’s just who he is,” Mitchell said.
“We’ve 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,” Mitchell continued.
"Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I've been busting his ass for years."
Donovan Mitchell on Dillon Brooks
(via @cwmwrites)
https://t.co/pnDvLaROnJ
Mitchell then explained that he was just protecting himself during the altercation.
“And the one game he does an alright job on me today, he decides to do something like that. There’s no place for that in the game and you’ve gotta protect yourself at the end of the day,” Mitchell said.
“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.
"It’s tough when you can’t guard somebody and can’t do something with somebody, you gotta resort to that and that’s what he’s done to a lot of players … I’m glad my guys held it down tonight and had my back throughout the whole thing,” Mitchell continued.
How did Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks fare in their matchup?
As for their head-to-head matchup on Thursday, neither Donovan Mitchell nor Dillon Brooks made a huge impact on the game. Mitchell finished with just six points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal and one block on 18.2% shooting over 22 minutes. Meanwhile, Brooks finished with just nine points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal on 40.0% shooting over 22 minutes.
However, Cleveland still got the win, led by star guard Darius Garland, who finished with a game-high 32 points and 11 assists on 57.9% shooting. Mitchell now has a head-to-head record of 9-2 in regular season matchups with Brooks, dating back to his Utah Jazz days. He is also 4-0 in playoff games against Brooks. So it appears that Mitchell’s comments are justified.
With the win, the Cavs improved to 32-22 and sit fifth in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Grizzlies dropped to 32-20 and sit second in the Western Conference.
It remains to be seen if the league will hand out additional punishments to Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks for their roles in the altercation.
Also read: Fans go crazy as huge fight erupts between Donovan Mitchel and Dillon Brooks: “Donovan Mitchell, confirmed Shannon Sharpe supporter”