Game 3 of the Lakers-Grizzlies playoffs matchup ended with a controversial incident that has created quite a stir in the NBA world. Grizzlies star Dillon Brooks faced ejection after he hit LeBron James in the groin. The 27-year-old NBA star received a flagrant foul 2 less than 20 seconds into the third quarter. Following that, Brooks blamed the media for portraying him in a bad light, an accusation that did not sit well with an NBA analyst. Consequently, the particular analyst hit back at Brooks for his comments on national TV.

After securing a Game 2 victory, the Grizzlies progressed to their next faceoff with renewed vigor but ended up hugely disappointing Memphis fans. King James’ Lakers took a 2-1 lead after defeating Ja Morant‘s Grizzlies by 111-101.

Dillon Brooks gets brutally criticized

Hours before facing the Lakers in Game 3, Dillon Brooks tried his best to goad LeBron James, going as far as to call him ‘old’. However, it did not take long for the Lakers to shut his mouth with yet another victory. After the game concluded, Brooks refrained from sharing his opinions about the game but did not hold back from making a controversial comment. According to Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Brooks said, “The media making me a villain, the fans making me a villain, that just creates another persona on me.”

The Grizzlies’ accusation ruffled the feathers of quite a few people and sports commentator Stephen A. Smith was one of them. During a recent episode of First Take, Smith said, “You’re really going to blame it on the media? The media has made you look…really?”

READ MORE -?Shocked at LeBron James? Insult on Live TV, NFL Legend Fires 7 Word Stephen Curry Jibe at 27-Year-Old NBA Star

Visibly losing his calm, Smith continued, “You really, really think that we actually came on TV and said, ‘Let’s figure out a way to talk about Dillon Brooks’. You really think that? You’re not Ja Morant. Hell! You damn sure ain’t no Elvis. No, we did not do that. You did it. You brought the attention to yourself.”

Smith added that all they wanted was to see Brooks back up his claims by putting up an impressive game. However, the Grizzlies ended up trailing behind LA with a 26-point deficit.

Brooks evades suspension

After Game 3 concluded, speculations regarding Brooks’ potential suspension began doing the rounds on the internet. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN soon broke the news on the league’s final decision. Having reviewed the matter, the league decided not to suspend Brooks or impose any additional penalty.

WATCH THIS STORY: ?Stepping over Draymond Green, clawing at Patrick Beverley, and other moments when LeBron James completely lost his cool

This was the third time Brooks was ejected in the entire season and his recent on-court antics have seemingly cultivated a ‘bad boy’ image for the Memphis star.