The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Dallas Mavericks 112-108 in Monday night’s matchup, but it wasn’t without drama. Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks earned technical foul No. 18 on the season and a one-game suspension for taunting Mavericks guard Theo Pinson.
Brooks mocked Pinson with a cheerleading gesture while the latter sat on the Dallas bench, forcing the reprimand from the officials:
“I just wanted to let him know he's a cheerleader,” said Brooks. “I grew up watching him play and he was a great player. Now, he gets paid to cheerlead. I love it"
Brooks will miss Memphis' game against the Houston Rockets on Wednesday as a result of the suspension, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
Pinson retorted with a succinct Tweet following the loss, saying, “been owning real estate for a while now I see," after Brooks elaborated after the game on his usage of the gesture as a direct insult toward Pinson for his lack of playing time.
Brooks and Pinson have history. Both were in the same 2014 recruiting class. Pinson was named to the 2014 McDonald's All American game while Brooks was not. Additionally, Pinson led the North Carolina Tar Heels to a victory over Brooks' Oregon Ducks in the 2017 Final Four en route to a National Championship.
Now, Brooks has the upper hand on Pinson, as his Grizzlies are the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference at 44-27 compared to the 36-36 Mavericks fighting for their playoff lives as the No. 7 seed with only 1.5 games separating them from a play-in berth and a spot outside of postseason play.
Additionally, Pinson plays 6.6 minutes per game in 2022-23 for Dallas while Brooks has carved out a reputation for being a two-way pest on a team that has become a perennial contender.
Brooks’ pesky antics have unearthed several notable feuds this season and contributed to the Grizzlies carrying a villainous aura. He and Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green traded insults earlier in the calendar year. Brooks also made headlines for jarring with NFL Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe during Memphis' game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 20.
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