CLEVELAND – Donovan Mitchell took his most vicious shots at Dillon Brooks after the game.
Accusing Brooks of being a dirty player, Mitchell said the NBA needs to do something about the Memphis guard’s brazen behavior after he threw Cleveland’s All-Star during the Cavaliers’ 128-113 victory Thursday night. Kill the star guard in the grizzly.
“It is what it is,” said Mitchell, who was ejected in the third quarter for throwing the ball at Brooks. “We’ve seen him a bunch in this league. He and I have had personal battles over the years.
“There’s no place for that in the game. It’s been going on for years with me and other guys in the league. You all see it. It’s not new.”
Darius Garland scored 32 points shortly after being left off the All-Star team and led Cleveland after Mitchell’s exit as the Cavs handed the Grizzlies their seventh loss in eight games.
Garland was one of several players not to have an All-Star caliber season named an Eastern Conference reserve by coaches. He added 11 assists as the Cavs bounced back from a tough loss to Miami on Tuesday night.
“He was outstanding,” Cavs coach JB Bickerstaff said. “He knew how important this game was to us and what we needed from him. That’s what leaders do.”
Mitchell, voted an All-Star starter last week, was tossed for throwing the ball at Brooks in the third quarter after the pair tangled under the basket. Brooks was also thrown out.
With the Cavs leading 81-76, Brooks missed a shot and fell into the lane. While on the floor, he pulled his arm back and hit Mitchell, who was standing over him, in the groin area. Mitchell cringed in pain and retaliated by shooting the ball at Brooks and then charging forward, swinging him along the baseline in front of the Memphis bench.
As the brawl threatened to spill into the seats, officials and players managed to bring things under control before any punches could be thrown.
It’s possible the league could punish Brooks more, and Mitchell believes the additional penalty is warranted.
“There must be something,” he said. “It’s not just a Donovan thing. It’s happened to other players throughout this league, and it’s totally (considerable). Those guys talk (trash) and that’s OK, it’s all part of basketball. We all grew up playing like that.
But when you start doing cheap (things), it doesn’t. This is where my frustration lies. It is not about going back and forth. That’s good, but when you start doing little things like that.
Bickerstaff felt Mitchell, who said he had a previous run-in with Brooks, had every right to defend himself.
“It was a cheap shot in a number of ways,” he said. “A man’s got to have the right to stand up for himself. I thought Donovan did that. I’m proud of our guys. We don’t have guys who start (expletive), but we have guys like that.” Who (notably) don’t run away from the dirt and you have to be in that league.
“You have to stand up for yourself. That’s what he did and his teammates had his back.
Brooks declined to discuss the feud with Mitchell in any detail. When asked about the exchange, Memphis All-Star Ja Morant stepped in and said the Grizzlies would not discuss the incident.
Brooks said he agreed with the Flagrant 2 call.
“It saved me some T’s (technical),” he said.
The Grizzlies have a reputation as the NBA’s most talked-about team, but Moriant believes they’re being judged unfairly.
“Anytime there’s anything negative about the Grizzlies, we’re usually, you know, punished,” Moriant said. “It’s not the same. They (the NBA) hate us.
While Mitchell said he and Brooks have a long history, Moriante denied the Grizzlies had any issues with the four-time All-Star.
“We haven’t got a date with anybody,” Morant said. “We don’t have beef with anybody.”
Sadie Osman added 21 points and Jarrett Allen added 18 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland.
Evan Mobley had 17 points and 14 rebounds.
Desmond Bean scored 25 points and Morinte had 24 points, eight rebounds and eight assists for the Grizzlies, despite being foul-mouthed for much of the night.
Memphis played without All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr., who sustained a sore thigh in Tuesday night’s loss to Portland.
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