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Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks are SENT OFF after a brawl, with Brooks catching his rival below the belt and Mitchell throwing the ball at his opponent and shoving him…as the Cavs beat the Grizzlies at home
Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks were ejected from Thursday night’s Cavs-Grizzlies matchup after a skirmish that had to be broken up by players and staff on both sides.
The drama unfolded when Brooks shoved Mitchell in the third quarter with the All-Star’s Cleveland teammate Evan Mobley, forcing the Memphis wing to foul.
Brooks ended up on the ground near Mitchell and hit the guard below the belt before Mitchell retaliated and tossed the ball to his opponent.
Mitchell then shoved Brooks, who had gotten to his feet by this time, before people from both sides intervened and Brooks was tackled by a Grizzlies staff member.
Head referee Tony Brothers announced shortly after that the players had been ejected from the contest.
Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks had to be separated Thursday night in Cleveland
Both players were ejected after the incident, before the Cavs won.
Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins tries to help break up the fight along with other staff members.
Leading by five points before losing Mitchell, the Cavs actually extended their lead with their best player gone, and won 128-113 against the second seed in the West.
Darius Garland finished with 32 points in a win over the Grizzlies, who were without the greats Steven Adams and Jaren Jackson Jr.
It is not the first time that Brooks has been involved in an altercation in recent times.
The forward exchanged words with Fox Sports personality Shannon Sharpe when the Grizzlies faced the Lakers in Los Angeles, and the announcer had to be restrained when he also butted on Ja Morant and Steven Adams.
“No matter what Dillon Brooks said, or how many times he said it, me being the person responsible, me having the platform that I have, having so many people look up to me, I was wrong. I should have turned the temperature down in the arena, but I turned it up and let it get out of hand,” Sharpe said in an on-air apology afterwards.