“This is driving me crazy”: Dillon Brooks’ ejection gets fiery response from Stephen A. Smith after heated clash with Kevin Durant

The Houston Rockets’ Dillon Brooks found himself at the center of controversy on Sunday, getting ejected in a fiery matchup against the Phoenix Suns. Brooks got tangled up with Suns superstar Kevin Durant in the second quarter, leading to a scuffle that saw multiple technical fouls handed out. However, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith came to the defense of the Rockets while condemning the decision to eject him from the matchup.

Stephen A. Smith was not happy as Dillon Brooks was ejected from the matchup. The altercation began when Brooks, while guarding Durant, was called for a reach-in foul. However, instead of letting the play go, Brooks continued to grab at Durant, attempting to snatch the ball. This escalated into a physical exchange, with the two players getting tangled up. Suns center Nick Richards stepped in to diffuse the situation, but Brooks shoved him aside, leading to his first technical foul.

Frustrated Brooks continued arguing with officials, which led to a second technical and an automatic ejection. Durant and Richards were also assessed technical fouls, but it was Brooks who ultimately paid the price, being forced to exit the game.
Taking to X, Smith wrote, “This is driving me crazy. I’m watching the @HoustonRockets vs @Suns game. Dillon Brooks did not deserve to get thrown out of this game. A physical play vs @KDTrey5 for sure, cussing at the referee initial for the foul call. But to eject the man over that? Come on. Let the players play!”

It was Brooks' first ejection of the season and the seventh of his NBA career. Entering Sunday’s game, he led the league in total fouls with 235 and had already accumulated $58,000 in fines from various infractions. With this latest ejection, Brooks’ total technical foul count for the season reached 15— just one away from an automatic one-game suspension per NBA rules.
Before his ejection, Brooks had put up eight points in 11 minutes of action. Following the incident, Houston went on a dominant 23-11 run to close out the half, carrying a commanding 78-49 lead into the break.
Brooks is a crucial piece for the Rockets, averaging 13.9 points per game this season.
As for the Suns, they were already struggling to keep pace, their night took another hit when Kevin Durant suffered an injury in the third quarter. Driving to the basket, Durant landed awkwardly on Jabari Smith Jr.’s foot, rolling his left ankle in a painful twist. He was helped off the court and did not return, finishing the night with 11 points and seven rebounds.
Durant’s injury came just a quarter after his scuffle with Brooks, but this time, the situation was far more concerning for the Suns. With the playoffs approaching, Phoenix now faces uncertainty regarding their star’s availability.
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Regardless, the Rockets secured a stunning 148-109 win over the Suns, making a statement at the Suns’ home ground, PHX Arena.