Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell believes that Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks crossed the line on Thursday night.
Midway through the third quarter of the matchup between Cleveland and Memphis, Brooks appeared to throw a below-the-belt strike at Mitchell after missing a layup attempt. The All-Star starter was furious with Brooks, throwing the ball directly at him and shoving him to the ground.
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Players from both teams got tangled up along the baseline, but they were separated before the scuffle escalated into an all-out brawl. The officiating crew reviewed the incident, and Brooks and Mitchell were eventually ejected from the game.
Spida and Dillon Brooks get CHIPPY 😳 pic.twitter.com/jGhYHa8VAS
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 3, 2023
After the Cavs' 128-113 win, Mitchell, who finished the contest with six points, four rebounds and three assists in 22 minutes, was asked if he felt that Brooks had taken a "cheap shot" at him.
"Yeah, for sure. That's just who he is," Mitchell said. "We've seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I've been busting his ass for years, playoffs, regular season. ... There's no place [for that] in the game, and you know, you've gotta protect yourself at the end of the day.
"This has been brewing for years with me, with other guys in the league, and you all see it. It's not something that — this isn't new."
Too many quotes, you’ve got to watch the whole thing.
— Spencer Davies (@SpinDavies) February 3, 2023
Donovan Mitchell goes directly at Dillon Brooks in his postgame press conference. Must listen. @basketbllnews pic.twitter.com/m8CSeVedGW
Mitchell told reporters that he has been talking "nonstop" with Brooks for years, but a "line has to be drawn" on those types of actions. He called on the NBA to "do something about it" because he claims Brooks is far from a first-time offender.
"It's bulls—, if I'm being honest with you. It's complete bulls—," Mitchell said. "It's one thing — you've got Ja [Morant]. You've got [Desmond] Bane. You've got Jaren Jackson. Those guys, like, they talk s—, and that's fine. That's all part of basketball. We grew up playing that way.
"But when you start doing little cheap s—, like, that ain't it. That's honestly where my frustration lies. It's not about the talking back and forth. That's whatever. The extra bumps, whatever, that's cool. But when you start doing little stuff like that, like, what are we really doing?"
On Friday, the NBA announced that Brooks would be suspended for one game for his actions and Mitchell would be fined $20,000. According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, Brooks' one-game suspension will cost him $78,621.
