Rockets big man demands Dillon Brooks to stop getting ejected, as he's no longer in Memphis
Houston Rockets wing Dillon Brooks and Chicago Bulls star forward DeMar DeRozan were ejected from Thursday’s Rockets-Bulls matchup following an on-court altercation. After the game, Houston center Jock Landale humorously called for his veteran teammate to avoid getting booted from future games.
Over his first six seasons with the Memphis Grizzlies, Brooks became renowned for being one of the NBA’s top instigators, consistently irritating his opponents. His erratic behavior made him perennially rank among the league leaders in technical fouls and receive various fines and suspensions.
However, the veteran wing eventually wore out his welcome, with Memphis opting not to retain him in free agency. That paved the way for the Rockets to acquire him via a four-year, $86 million sign-and-trade deal.
As expected, Brooks has brought an edge to Houston, helping the young team improve substantially after finishing just 22-60 last season. The Rockets entered Thursday riding a season-high six-game winning streak, looking to challenge for one of the West’s final play-in spots.
Brooks and Houston got off to a strong start against Chicago. Midway through the third quarter, the 28-year-old led his team in scoring with 23 points on a blistering 76.9% shooting. Meanwhile, the Rockets were up by nine at home.
However, things took a turn for Brooks with 6:02 remaining in the quarter after DeRozan committed a hard foul on his teammate Jalen Green. Green was initiating a play from well beyond the 3-point line when the six-time All-Star ran into him, sending him tumbling.
After calling a foul, the officiating crew immediately signaled for a review to check if it should be upgraded to a flagrant foul. At that point, Brook intervened, stepping in to defend his 22-year-old teammate.
Brooks and DeRozan subsequently engaged in a face-to-face altercation, resulting in Brooks getting tripped up as other players tried to separate them.
Afterward, DeRozan was assessed a flagrant foul penalty 2 for making “excessive and unnecessary contact” with Green. Meanwhile, Brooks received a technical foul and was ejected for “escalating the situation.”
Following the incident, the Rockets held on for a 127-117 win, marking their seventh straight, led by a team-high 26 points from Green. Landale also stepped up, recording 17 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and two blocks on 60.0% shooting off the bench.
In his postgame interview, the big man used his airtime to send a comical message to Brooks about his importance to the team.
“Dillon Brooks, if you’re listening, this ain't Memphis, man,” Landale said. “Stop getting yourself ejected. We need you out here. We need that physicality.”
Per Fox Sports, Brooks’ technical foul marked his 13th this season, the NBA’s second most, trailing only Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic (14).
The league automatically suspends players for one game if they pick up 16 technical fouls in a season. Additionally, players receive an extra one-game suspension for every two technical fouls they pick up beyond 16.
So, with 13 games remaining for Houston, if Brooks isn't careful, he could come within striking distance of picking up a suspension.
Also Read: Top 5 current players in NBA who emerged from G-League Ignite team ft. Jalen Green
Despite ejection, Dillon Brooks and Rockets inch closer to play-in spot
After securing Thursday’s victory over Chicago following Dillon Brooks’ ejection, Houston inched closer to a play-in spot. The 11th-placed Rockets (34-35) trail the 10th-placed Golden State Warriors (36-32) by just 2.5 games.
On top of their seven-game winning streak, they’ve gone 9-1 in March, including five consecutive wins without rising star center Alperen Segun (ankle).
During that 10-game span, Houston ranks fourth in offensive rating (119.0) and sixth in defensive rating (109.7).
“Good to get back to playing good basketball,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Now you want to ride that momentum and just keep tightening the rope and do a little bit more every game.”
The Rockets will look to extend their season-best winning streak to eight games when they host the Utah Jazz (29-41) on Saturday.
Also Read: Jalen Green credits Draya Michele and their baby for uptick in career