As the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns game went down to the wire, one sequence literally stole all the attention. With 38 seconds left and the visitors down by five, Dillon Brooks jumped at a Stephen Curry shot and then hit the veteran in the midsection on the way down.

Officials initially reviewed the play to determine which side would gain possession, but caught Brooks’ antics and assessed him a flagrant 1 foul. This gave Curry two free throws and the Warriors’ possession, which Jimmy Butler converted into a three-pointer to tie the game.

But the Brooks incident wasn’t subtle at all. The Suns player has cultivated a reputation as a hard-nosed defender with many dirty plays against the Warriors in the past.

Back in 2022, when the team faced off against Brooks and the Memphis Grizzlies, he committed a hard foul on Gary Payton II while the Warriors star was midair, knocking him to the ground and fracturing Payton’s elbow. Brooks was suspended for this, and head coach Steve Kerr called the play “dirty” in the immediate aftermath.

This continued into last season’s playoffs, when Brooks, then on the Houston Rockets, was called out by commentator Bob Fitzgerald for targeting Curry’s thumb, which was injured at the time of the series, by slapping it while contesting his shots. Brooks didn’t deny the accusation, either.

“If you’re going to come play the game injured, whatever you’ve got, it’s all about the game,” Brooks said in the postgame conference. “If I had an injured ankle, I would attack that ankle every single time.”

Fans erupt at “dirtiest player” slapping him with accusations of wanting to hurt Stephen Curry

For a large section of Warriors fans, last night’s play didn’t warrant any debate. Dillon Brooks’ reputation explained what happened, and the referees failed to act decisively. One fan didn’t mince words, arguing that Brooks shouldn’t have remained in the game!

“Should’ve been ejected n—-s a clown been tryna injure Steph for years.”

Top Stories

WNBA Responds to WNBPA Strike Authorization Vote With Official Statement

Did Zion Williamson Slide Into Sydney Sweeney’s DMs? Fact Checking the Viral Screenshot

Who Is Calvin Booth’s Wife Keisha Booth? All Details of Nuggets Former Gm’s Personal Life Revealed

Breanna Stewart, Napheesa Collier Gain Momentum Outside WNBA Amid CBA Tensions

Draymond Green Calls Out Mavs Locker Room Over Klay Thompson Treatment Amid Stephen Curry Claim

Brooks has been a thorn in Dub Nation for a long time, and any borderline moment involving him is always viewed through the lens of scrutiny. Yet some others focused less on history and more on the sequence itself, finding that the replay contained the most damning detail.

“Are we missing the part where he also violently swings at curry’s hand when the ball is already half way to the rim?,” one observer wrote.

The issue was the timing of the physicality…

Brooks seemingly fouled Curry twice in the same sequence, but the officials called only one, and identifying the previous one could’ve led to a possible ejection.

There was also a sense of acceptance amongst some viewers, who weren’t surprised by how the play was called. They particularly focused on Curry’s broader treatment.

“It’s Curry I’m actually surprised he even got the call at all,” one comment read.

Curry, being a perimeter-oriented and jump-shooting player, doesn’t get many calls due to a lesser frequency of contact, which fans feel gives defenders a chance to play him harder without consistent protection from referees.

Another reaction drew immediate comparisons, questioning the consistency of officiating by drawing on previous examples.

“That looks like what LeBron did to him,” one post pointed out.

In the Suns’ previous game, Brooks was ejected for getting too physical with LeBron James. The Los Angeles Lakers veteran had nudged him to the ground on a three-point attempt, but didn’t draw a foul. Soon after that, however, the Suns’ star was ejected for retaliating in frustration. Many considered it a tit for tat kind of incident. But this fan comment shifted the perspective on how differently the situation was handled.

Some fans framed the incident as part of league-wide patterns that Brooks has continued to perpetrate. One reaction summed up the sentiment online:

“Dirtiest player in the league.”

For the Warriors fanbase, that play wasn’t shocking, but confirmation of what they believe Brooks has been allowed to get away with repeatedly.