Memphis Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks ejected for flagrant foul that leaves Golden State Warriors’ Gary Payton II with damaged elbow

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Grizzlies ahead Dillon Brooks was ejected lower than three minutes into Tuesday evening’s 106-101 win over the Warriors for a flagrant foul 2 that left Gary Payton II with a damaged elbow, marking the second straight sport on this second-round sequence {that a} starter was ejected for a flagrant 2.

Brooks was chasing down Payton from behind on a fast-break layup when he hit the Warriors guard within the head within the air with 9:08 left within the first quarter. Payton went down onerous and remained down for a number of minutes. After officers reviewed the play, Brooks was ejected.

Payton underwent X-rays on his left elbow, and the Warriors dominated him out. After the sport, they stated he suffered a fractured left elbow. He’ll endure an MRI on Wednesday for additional analysis of the harm.

How a lot time Payton will miss is to be decided, however regardless of how lengthy he’s sidelined, his absence is a significant blow to the Warriors.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr was furious when the foul occurred, screaming on the officiating crew. When Brooks was ejected, Kerr may very well be heard yelling, “Get the f— out of right here, Brooks!”

“I do not know if it was intentional, nevertheless it was soiled,” Kerr stated after the sport. “There’s a code. This code that gamers observe the place you by no means put a man’s season [or] profession in jeopardy by taking anyone out in midair and clubbing him throughout the top, finally fracturing Gary’s elbow … He broke the code. Dillon Brooks broke the code.”

Earlier this season, when the NBA suspended the Milwaukee Bucks‘ Grayson Allen after he was assessed a flagrant 2 on the Chicago Bulls‘ Alex Caruso, the league did consider that an harm occurred on the play; it was introduced a day after the sport that Caruso had suffered a proper wrist fracture.

The league is predicted to talk with members of the Warriors and Grizzlies over the following few days — forward of Recreation Three on Saturday — to determine if Brooks will likely be suspended.

“It was type of out of line by way of a defenseless participant going up for the layup and taking an enormous windup,” Warriors guard Stephen Curry stated. “All the things dangerous that would have occurred in that scenario did. Knocked him out of the sport.”

Curry paused for a second earlier than persevering with, “Discuss flagrant 2s, it was positively a type of.”

Curry’s remark was in regard to the flagrant foul teammate Draymond Green picked up in Recreation 1 that resulted in his ejection with beneath two minutes to go within the first half after he hit Brandon Clarke on the top and grabbed his jersey.

Fourteen seconds after Brooks’ ejection Tuesday, Inexperienced additionally ended up on the ground in ache. He headed to the locker room for examination, and on his manner there, he was seen flipping his center fingers on the Memphis crowd.

“You gonna boo somebody who was elbowed within the eye and face is working with blood, it is best to get flipped off,” Inexperienced stated. “I am going to take the tremendous. I am going to do an look and make up the cash. It felt actually good to flip them off. … If they will be that nasty, I will likely be nasty too. I am assuming the cheers had been as a result of they know I will be fined. Nice — I make $25 million a 12 months. I must be simply tremendous.”

Inexperienced acquired stitches on his proper eye and returned to the sport. Kerr stated Inexperienced was OK however “was struggling” and “it was actually robust” for him on the market.

Payton and Inexperienced are two of the Warriors’ greatest and most vital defenders. With out Payton — who had began the primary two video games of this sequence due to his protection — the Warriors will likely be pressured to assign another person the first task of guarding Ja Morant, who tied his playoff profession excessive with 47 factors.

Kerr stated the hope is that Andre Iguodala, who missed the primary two video games of the sequence with a left cervical disk harm, will return in time to defend Morant in Recreation 3.

Heading into Recreation 2, each groups stated they anticipated a bodily battle. Kerr went so far as to say it was going to be probably the most bodily sport the Warriors have performed in all season.

“Playoff basketball is meant to be bodily,” Kerr stated. “Everyone’s going to compete. Everybody goes to battle for every thing.”

To an extent, this sport lived as much as that. The Warriors knew they wanted to match, if not exceed, the extent of physicality the Grizzlies would convey.

Memphis creates its greatest offense via forcing turnovers and dominating the glass. In Recreation 1, Golden State beat Memphis in each classes. In Recreation 2, the Warriors gained the battle on the boards once more, outrebounding the Grizzlies 52-47 (together with 14 offensive rebounds), however did themselves a disservice with 18 turnovers resulting in 15 Grizzlies factors.

Earlier than the sport, the sentiment from the Warriors was that they weren’t involved about their protection, however extra so about executing on offense. It was the proper concern, because the Warriors shot 40-of-95 from the ground, together with 7-of-38 from 3 — their worst 3-point capturing proportion in a postseason sport over the previous 25 seasons.

Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole had been a mixed 0-of-13 on contested 3-point makes an attempt.

“We let one get away by way of some self-inflicted wounds — turnovers, shot choice — and we’ll spend all three days [off] with that feeling,” Curry stated. “However we perceive what we have to do and the way we have to play and the issues we have to concentrate on. We have now to decide to doing that come Saturday.”

Nobody from both facet was shocked on the degree of depth in Recreation 2. In spite of everything, in accordance with Curry, “It is a playoff sequence. It is the best way it must be.”

Nonetheless, simply three minutes into the sport, Kerr stated the road between bodily and reckless was crossed.

“The road is fairly clear,” Kerr stated. “You do not hit on the top when he is in midair, breaking his elbow. That is the place the road is.”

ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk contributed to this report.