"Terrible group out there" - Dillon Brooks puts NBA referees on blast for ejecting Ime Udoka after trashing LeBron James

Dillon Brooks is the most recent player to share his thoughts on Ime Udoka's ejection during their game against the LA Lakers (12-9). A small altercation between players brewed, which led to a series of verbal exchanges between the Houston Rockets (8-9) head coach and LeBron James.

James was issued a technical foul after an official overheard their exchange. The two played it down when asked what they were talking about, but leaked audio clips suggest they called each other a "b***h."

Brooks was interviewed about the situation between Udoka and James. He criticized the officiating and believed that the referees did not have the situation under control, which led to it escalating.

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"I tried to push LeBron away from it, the refs just let it get out of hand." Brooks said (via Sports Illustrated). "Terrible group out there that was reffing, they lost control of the game. It's very inconsistent and that’s what you get from inconsistent refs, it's a whole bunch of nonsense."

The Rockets forward might get fined for criticizing the officiating, though no formal statements have been released by the league yet. In the past, players have received fines for criticizing the officiating. But that hasn't stopped some stars from standing up and speaking their mind about certain things.

After the Lakers' 107-97 win, both Udoka and James were asked to comment on the altercation that led to the former's ejection. According to the head coach, he just had a conversation with the Los Angeles superstar and the referees didn't like what they were talking about.

James, meanwhile, said that they talked about the recent Thanksgiving holiday.

You might also be interested in reading this: Watch: Luka Doncic ruthlessly taunts Dillon Brooks as Houston guard bricks layup

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Dillon Brooks doubles down on criticizing the game officials

There have been quite a few questionable calls this season and Dillon Brooks isn't immune to it. Even with that, he didn't comment on how the officials have done their jobs until recently. After giving his thoughts on the officials who ejected the Rockets' head coach, the 27-year-old didn't hold back in letting fans know what was on his mind.

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"This basketball game there should be no grudges held, there should be no emotions toward the game," Brooks said (via Chron). "[It should be] reffing the game, playing the game the way it's supposed to be played. A lot of agendas, it's not for the game, it's ruining the game."

Brooks stood up for his coach, saying that he didn't do anything wrong to be ejected from the game.

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"[Udoka] doesn’t back down from anybody," Brooks said. "He’s played the game before. With our culture, standing up for us is a big thing."

The next time the Rockets face the Lakers will be on Jan. 29, 2024.

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