Memphis star Dillon Brooks suspended for Game 3 for vicious Gary Payton foul
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- The NBA has suspended Memphis star Dillon Brooks for Saturday's Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals for a vicious foul that fractured the left elbow of Warriors guard Gary Payton.
The league also fined Golden State star Draymond Green $25,000 for an obscene gesture he made to the Memphis fans after he was injured moments later and was walking to the locker room with blood streaming down his face.
"If you're going to boo somebody who gets elbowed in the eye with blood running down their face, you should get flipped off," Green said after Tuesday night's 106-101 loss "So I'll take the fine. I'll go do an appearance and make up the money. But it felt really good to flip them off. "
"I could've had a concussion or anything. So if they're going to be that nasty, I can be that nasty, too. And I'm assuming the cheers were because they knew I'd get fined. Great. I make $25 million a year, I should be just fine."
Payton was going for a layup when Brooks chased him down and swung his arm, hitting the Warriors guard across the head.
The blow knocked Payton off balance. He fell to the ground and immediately grabbed at his left arm with 9:08 left in the first quarter. Officials reviewed the play and quickly ruled it a Flagrant 2, sending Brooks to the locker room.
X-rays revealed Payton had suffered a fractured elbow. His return to the playoffs is doubtful.
'Brooks has been suspended one game without pay for having made unnecessary and excessive contact against Golden State Warriors guard Gary Payton II, resulting in substantial injury to Payton," the league said in a statement.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr didn't mince words about what he thought of Dillon's actions.
"I don't know if it was intentional, but it was dirty," Kerr said. "And playoff basketball is supposed to be physical, everybody's going to compete, everybody is going to fight for everything. But there's a code in this league, there's a code that players follow where you never put a guy's season/career in jeopardy by taking somebody out in mid-air and clubbing him across the head, ultimately fracturing Gary's elbow."
