Watch: Jarred Vanderbilt slaps Dillon Brooks on his head, gets ejected for altercation
The LA Lakers faced a setback against the Houston Rockets on Monday, as Jarred Vanderbilt earned two quick technical fouls and got ejected at the start of the second quarter. The incident occurred at the 10:17 minute mark of the second quarter.
LeBron James brought the ball down to the half-court, giving an early entrance pass to Austin Reaves. He went to a quick spin move away from Jae'Sean Tate into the smaller Fred VanVleet to get an easy layup.
Vanderbilt was under the rim, in position for an offensive rebound, but in doing so, shoved Dillion Brooks out of his way, getting called for his first technical. Brooks continued to talk to him as they slowly backed away to the other side of the court, where Vanderbilt lost his composure and swiped at the back of Brooks' head.
The referees immediately ejected him, giving him his second technical. Here's the video of the incident:
ESPN's Dave McMenamin reported:
"Jarred Vanderbilt was just ejected for getting a first technical foul for shoving Dillon Brooks in the chest and then picking up a quick second T for poking his finger in the side of Brooks' head"
Additionally, a Lakers player informed ESPN that Brooks called Vanderbilt a "p---y" during the altercation.
Addressing the reporter post-game, Brooks commented on the incident, stating that Vanderbilt heightened the confrontation.
"I feel like he may feel like I did a dirty play," Brooks explained.
"It’s part of basketball—we bump and tussle. I just think he took it a bit too far."
Jarred Vanderbilt gets baited by Dillon Brooks, huge loss for Lakers as defense struggles
Jarred Vanderbilt has emerged as a bright spot in the Lakers' challenging season. Tasked with primary defensive assignments, his versatility to switch across positions complements LeBron James and Anthony Davis effectively.
It gives the Lakers length and athleticism to rebound, push the pace and disrupt opponents with physicality, which is when the Lakers are at their best. Dillon Brooks is one of the best in the NBA at baiting opponents into making risky moves.
The member of the All-NBA Defensive team is not afraid to get under the skin of rivals. He looks to accomplish that by engaging in trash talk, the odd hard foul, and even what some might consider dirty play. He achieved that on Monday against Jarred Vanderbilt by continuously holding and nudging the LA Lakers forward.
For most of the evening, Vanderbilt's response consisted of either staring at Brooks or holding and nudging him in his own way. Vanderbilt's presence will be felt as the Lakers fell behind by 20 points to the Rockets in the third quarter.