Dillon Brooks ejection, flagrant 2 elicits pointed reaction from Warriors’ Steve Kerr: ‘That wasn’t physical, that was dirty.”
The flagrant fouling continues in the second-round series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies.
In Game 2 on Tuesday, Grizzlies combo guard Dillion Brooks was ejected after getting called for a Flagrant foul 2 three minutes into the first quarter. Brooks hit Gary Payton II on a fast break attempt causing the Warriors guard to hit the stanchion and court. Payton immediately started to writhe in pain while grabbing his arm.
Here is the play:
Officials initially called Brook’s club to Payton’s head a Flagrant foul 1 but after review, it was upgraded because of the “windup, impact and follow through to the head while the player was prone to injury.”
The “prone to injury” mention was apt as Payton left the game to get X-rays on his left elbow. The Warriors later announced that Payton would not return to the game.
While he may not have anticipated yet another flagrant foul in the series, Warriors coach Steve Kerr predicted before Game 2 that the Grizzlies would play much more physical.
“It’ll be the most physical game we play all year,” Kerr said. “We cannot come in here and let your guard down knowing what we’re going to face in terms of their physicality.”
Kerr upped the rhetoric during his in-game interview at the end of the first quarter, telling TNT’s Jared Greenberg that Brooks’ foul “wasn’t physical, it was dirty.”
Dirty or not, the call quickly drew parallels to Game 1 as Draymond Green was ejected from the contest after picking up a Flagrant foul 2.
MORE: Draymond Green discusses ejection with TNT crew
Green was aghast at the call, parading around the court before leaving the game. His ire grew postgame as he immediately shared his thoughts about the call on his podcast. Green even doubled down on Inside the NBA on Monday, telling the TNT crew that he shouldn’t have gotten a Flagrant foul 2.
No matter what Green believes, one thing is clear, this series is getting more and more physical as it goes one.
What’s the difference between a Flagrant 1 and Flagrant 2?
To put it simply, a Flagrant 1 foul is an “unnecessary” foul. A Flagrant 2 foul on the other hand, is “unnecessary” and “excessive.”
Flagrant foul points and playoff suspensions
Can a player get suspended for getting too many Flagrant fouls?
Absolutely.
For each Flagrant foul they receive, a player will rack up points. If a player has more than three Flagrant foul points, they will earn an automatic one-game suspension.
After they serve their suspension, a player’s point total doesn’t go to zero. So if they pick up another flagrant foul, they will earn more points and will have to then serve an automatic two-game suspension.
Here’s how Flagrant foul points breakdown:
- Flagrant 1 = 1 point
- Flagrant 2 = 2 points