Dillon Brooks was public enemy No. 1 on Monday night at Chase Center.
In Game 2 of the Warriors-Grizzlies Western Conference semifinals last week, Brooks fouled Gary Payton II hard and it led to a fractured left elbow. The Flagrant 2 foul also resulted in a Game 3 suspension for Brooks, so Dub Nation couldn’t boo him until Game 4.
Brooks addressed the media before the game and was matter-of-fact in his response to the foul, saying, “If I were to take it back in that moment, I would. But it’s in the past.” From the time he was introduced in the starting lineups Monday night, Brooks was hearing it from the boo birds.
Brooks airballed his first 3-point attempt on his first touch, and never looked to be in a rhythm all evening offensively. He finished with 12 points on 5-of-19 shooting and 2-of-9 from 3-point land with some bad clanks. He also dished out eight assists, grabbed five rebounds, had five fouls and four turnovers while guarding Steph Curry for much of his evening. The Warriors ended up winning an ugly 101-98 affair after Curry changed his shoes and came up clutch in the fourth quarter.
After the game, a Grizzlies blog from FanSided called Beale Street Bears shared a supercut of Brooks’ misses, bad passes and other gaffes like the time he dribbled it off his own foot into the third row.
Morant saw the video when he was scrolling after the game and called out the blog, saying “delete this dawg . y'all wilding.”
delete this dawg . y'all wilding
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 10, 2022
Morant also used his account to defend Brooks and describe what it was like to be sidelined for Game 4.
exactly. wishy washy a$$ mfs .
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 10, 2022
we riding wit him 💯🔒 https://t.co/TH3fgivvsV
def one of the worst feelings for me but proud of my brothers 🤞🏽🐻
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 10, 2022
It seems Brooks can do no right this series, as both fanbases have turned against him. Morant is fiercely loyal and the Grizzlies are a tight-knit group, so it’s no surprise to see him stick up for his guy Brooks.
The Beale Street Bears account responded afterwards:
Brooks didn’t speak with the media after the game, but coach Taylor Jenkins also showed support for the 26-year-old forward.
“Got a lot of trust in him and I loved what he was doing defensively,” Jenkins said. “Had a big three, big two late in the game, just the ball wasn’t bouncing for him the majority of the game. But got a lot of trust in that guy.”
A reporter asked Klay Thompson if he thought the boos coaxed Brooks into some bad shots.
“Possibly,” Thompson said. “Our fans are passionate and they will let you hear it if you have wronged them. I guess – good job, Dub Nation.”
Brooks got the reception he was expecting and it certainly looked like he was rushed at times or trying to prove a point. Ultimately, the Warriors’ experience allowed them to outride a miserable game and outlast the Grizzlies in the final minute, as Draymond Green blocked a late game-tying 3-point attempt by Jaren Jackson Jr. from 29 feet with 12 seconds left. Without Ja Morant, who was injured in Game 3, the Grizzlies didn’t have the same bite down the stretch.
The two teams have a travel day and a quick turnaround before Wednesday night’s Game 5, which is scheduled for 6:30 p.m PT at FedExForum in Memphis. The crowd is sure to be into it as the Grizzlies face a 3-1 series deficit and the offseason is just one loss away.
