Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game after receiving his 16th technical foul of the season. The NBA announced the punishment Thursday.
Brooks received his latest technical foul early in the Rockets’ win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Just five minutes into the first quarter, while being guarded by Collin Sexton, Brooks lost the ball and tried to kick it, hitting Sexton somewhere below the belt.
The action was initially ruled as a kicked ball, but changed to a tech after review. Sexton stayed down for a moment after the contact, but eventually got up to hit a free throw.
With the suspension, Brooks will miss Houston’s home matchup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday. Under NBA rules, Brooks can be suspended again for every two technicals he receives this season once he returns.
Brooks’ 15th technical foul came earlier this week, when he was ejected from the Rockets’ win over the Phoenix Suns after getting into a shoving match with Phoenix’s Kevin Durant and Nick Richards.
Over the past few seasons, Brooks has built up a reputation as something of a league villain. Brooks is a perpetual fouler, with 239 fouls so far this season — currently tied with Detroit Pistons center Jalen Duren for the most in the NBA.
Brooks was similarly suspended by the league in 2022 after accumulating too many technical fouls. At the time, the Canadian forward played for the Memphis Grizzlies and had begun to build his reputation as an agitator on the court; he was suspended by the league that March for earning his 16th tech. Two weeks later, Brooks was suspended again for earning two more techs upon returning.
Following his most recent suspension, Brooks is set to return Sunday as Houston faces the Golden State Warriors. Despite Brooks’ foul troubles, the Rockets are thriving this season, sitting second in the Western Conference and holding a 50-27 record with five games left in the regular season.
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