In a fiery showdown against the Milwaukee Bucks resulting in a 128-119 defeat for the Houston Rockets, forward Dillon Brooks and head coach Ime Udoka faced NBA Ejection in the game’s final minute. Brooks, known for his outspoken nature, received two consecutive technical fouls following a fervent dispute with an official. Shortly after, Udoka was also ejected.
The heated exchange stemmed from a crucial play where Brooks believed he was forced out of bounds by Khris Middleton while pursuing a loose ball with less than 40 seconds on the clock and Houston trailing by nine points. Not only was the call denied, but Brooks was also penalized with a technical for alleged flopping by official Suyash Meta.
Following his initial technical, Brooks persisted in arguing with Mehta, resulting in a second technical and his removal from the court. Udoka joined the discussion and was swiftly ejected by crew chief Bill Kennedy.
Expressing his frustration after the game, Brooks stated, “I’m tired of refs being right there and not making calls, coupled with a bailout call like a flop or something. I sprinted to secure the ball after an attempt to steal it.”
He added, “Two hands were on me, and then while I’m releasing the ball and safeguarding myself from a potential fall into the stands or the court’s edge – I know someone was injured like that, sidelined for the season. I’m trying to protect myself, and then the ref wants to tag it as a flop with a minute remaining, it’s senseless… It’s unacceptable to me, and that ref shouldn’t officiate our games, really.”
Brooks’ critique of the officiating is expected to result in a league-imposed fine for public scrutiny of the referees. Kennedy clarified the reason behind Brooks’ initial tech in the Pool Report, attributing it to disrespecting an official using profanity and noting the stoppage at 38.9 seconds following the flopping violation.
Known for his intense defensive play, Brooks has a history of NBA Ejection due to contentious fouls and disputes with officials. Notably, in his Rockets preseason debut, he was ejected in under five minutes for a screen-related incident involving then-Pacers forward Daniel Theis.
Having signed an $86 million, four-year deal with Houston before the season, Brooks is averaging 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, displaying a career-high 39% success rate in 3-point shooting. Despite the loss to Milwaukee, the Rockets stand at 13-10, though they struggle on the road with a 2-9 record.
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