"He and Isaiah Stewart gotta be related" - Fans react as furious Dillon Brooks charges at referee after getting ejected
Houston Rockets wing Dillon Brooks was tossed from Sunday's road matchup against the Phoenix Suns for challenging an official following a dust-up. His ejection sparked mixed reactions from NBA fans.
Brooks, known for his fiery competitive spirit and getting under his opponents' skin, often gets involved in altercations. The latest instance came with 4:48 remaining in the second quarter against Phoenix.
Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant attempted to drive past Brooks from the 3-point line. The eight-year veteran was promptly whistled for a foul before getting tied up with Durant in the paint. Durant then shoved Brooks, who laughed as the 15-time All-Star's teammate Nick Richards stepped in to defend him.
Brooks and Richards exchanged a few words, with Brooks seemingly scoffing at the big man. Afterward, Brooks gave official Justin Van Duyne a piece of his mind, resulting in him getting thrown out.
Appearing exasperated by Van Duyne's ruling, Brooks charged at the referee, needing to be restrained by Rockets staffers as he shouted repeatedly.
The incident occurred despite Houston being in full command of the game, leading 55-38. Brooks finished with eight points, one rebound, one assist, one steal, one block and two 3-pointers, shooting 3-for-7 (42.9%) across 11 minutes.
Some fans on X/Twitter called out Brooks for again displaying a volatile temperament, with one likening him to oft-irritable Detroit Pistons big man Isaiah Stewart.
"Kick (him) out (of the) league. He doesn't even play basketball," @MrBadog wrote.
"So weak. Fake-a** tough guy," @NMRomesSports said.
"This MF is s**t to (the) NBA," @ErPadamKc wrote.
"He and Isaiah Stewart gotta be related," @LeLukaShow said.
However, others took Brooks' side, noting that his gripe with the officiating was justified.
"That was a weak-a** ejection, not gonna lie," @BIGMEM12 wrote.
"NBA continues to be Charmin soft," @thechek182 said.
"Not a Brooks fan at all, but that's way too soft of an ejection," @BronGotIt wrote.
Also Read: Dillon Brooks' girlfriend Mirna Habib shares chilled-out selfie with Rockets star following hilarious courtside fall
Rockets cruise to blowout victory following Dillon Brooks' ejection
While Dillon Brooks was disqualified early from Sunday's outing, his absence seemingly didn't impact the Rockets much. They went on to secure a 148-109 blowout road victory.
Houston had eight players finish in double-figure scoring, led by shooting guard Jalen Green's game-high 33-point performance. The second-seeded Western Conference squad led by as many as 42 points at PHX Arena en route to its third consecutive win.
Brooks' next chance to suit up comes on Monday when the Rockets conclude their three-game road trip against the LA Lakers (45-29).
Also Read: 3x NBA champ hilariously predicts Dillon Brooks' post-retirement plans