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Stinging Reminder Sent Dillon Brooks Way As Rockets Teammate Gets Desperate With Pivotal Request

Published 03/21/2024, 11:01 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

After tonight’s ugly brawl, the Rockets big man, Jock Landale, dropped sincere advice to Dillon Brooks after his ejection from the game at the time when the team was leading with 23 points on 10-13 shooting. The former Memphis Grizzlies star has had a history of nasty on-court brawls and a bunch of ejections. Tonight, he brought that back in the Houston Rockets‘ threads. Even though it didn’t affect the game’s result, it did force his teammate, Jock Landale, to call him out after the game.

During the post-game interview, Landale said, “Dillon Brooks, if you’re listening, this ain’t Memphis man. Stop getting yourself ejected. We need you out here. We need that physicality.” 

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The Rockets are in the middle of a break-out stretch right before the post-season. They have won 7 games in a row and look to steal the 10th spot from the Golden State Warriors. In that glorious stretch, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, and several others have turned up the gas for the side. They are just two wins away from taking away the 10th spot.

Amid this promising time for the Rockets, there seemed to be a growing concern within the side. Jock Landale, who put up a great show coming off the bench, addressed it after tonight’s game. The rising star spoke about the physicality that his team relied on to win the games. While speaking of the physicality, he immediately shifted his focus to Brooks and stressed the importance of his presence on the team.

Even though Brooks’ stats have considerably come down this season, it wasn’t because of his poor performance but the change in his role. The two-way player has leaned more toward the defense end of the court and has put up a great show. He’s averaging 12.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in each game with a great defensive strategy. In fact, he is also a glorious role player for many in the NBA. Of course, his mannerisms might be over the top for some, but he is still trying his best.

Why did Dillon Brooks receive a stinging reminder?

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Tonight, his behavior actually could have cost the entire team. But somehow, they were able to get out of that situation and bag another win by the final buzzer-beater. Some of his teammates were likely truly frustrated with the fact that he could create a troublesome environment for himself and everyone around him.

Apart from Brooks’ history with the on-court brawls, the current position of the team also played a major part in the stinging reminder. As the team chases for a spot in the Play-in tournament, the team would require a fully healthy roster. The team has already lost the rising star Alperen Sengun to a third-grade ankle injury.

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In his absence, if Brooks gets a suspension, it could further make it difficult for the Rockets to hope for the spot in the postseason. Tonight, he engaged in a fight with Chicago Bulls‘ DeMar DeRozan, and both of them got ejected. In this same season, Draymond Green received an indefinite suspension for his repeated on-court violence and the Rockets star could also face a similar situation.

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Now while Houston has gone 9-1 this March, the team is about 2 and a half games behind the GSW to grab the final play-in spot in the West Conference. Tonight was also the Rockets’ 7-game winning streak, the longest they’ve seen since 2021.

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Written by:

Shahul Hameed

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Shahul Hameed is a Senior NBA Writer at EssentiallySports. Armed with a Master's Degree in journalism from a distinguished institute, his journey into sports writing began during his college days, and since then, Shahul has been captivated not only by the remarkable consistency of Stephen Curry but also by the enduring legacy of LeBron James. He specializes in covering the live basketball action.
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Edited by:

Saumya Khanduja