Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks was suspended one game by the NBA after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season in the second quarter of Wednesday night’s loss to the Thunder. After the game, Brooks doubled down on his comments about the referees.
“Yes. He said I had been playing the victim,” Brooks said. “When I’m not playing the victim, I’m the bad guy. Pick one… If you’re going to be bad all the time, be bad the whole game. Don’t try to fix things during the game. Don’t try to do anything and don’t try to balance fouls or whatever it may be. If you’re going to be bad, be bad the whole game.”
advertise
Brooks has made a name for himself playing villains, dating back to his time with the Memphis Grizzlies. His 16th technical foul will result in an automatic one-game suspension and a $5,000 fine under the league’s rules regarding technical fouls.
Despite Brooks’ plethora of technical fouls so far, he’s statistically having the best year of his NBA career, especially in terms of scoring. Brooks averaged a career-high 21.2 points in 49 games. The Suns finished 10 games below .500 last season (36-46). Halfway through the year, Phoenix has a winning percentage above .500 in nine games (32-23) and is currently one game behind the sixth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference.
advertise
The team’s turnaround can be largely attributed to Brooks’ season. No matter which team he plays for, Brooks plays the role of a player who can put opponents in trouble, and does it well. This has become almost a daily occurrence for Brooks, as this isn’t the first time he’s been suspended by the league, and it probably won’t be his last.
