JJ Redick On Grizzlies’ Dillon Brooks: “He Broke The Code”

Golden State Warriors’ guard Gary Payton II suffered a fractured left elbow after a hard foul by Memphis Grizzlies’ wing Dillon Brooks in Tuesday night’s game. Here is what ESPN’s JJ Redick said about the situation.

Tuesday night’s Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals series between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies was a thrilling battle until the final buzzer, but there was a lot of controversy that occurred in this game.

Just about three minutes into the game, Warriors’ guard Gary Payton II went up for a wide-open, uncontested layup when Grizzlies’ wing Dillon Brooks came from his side and made hard, unnecessary contact with Payton midair.

Payton fell hard to the ground, landing on his left arm/elbow and he left the game with what was later deemed to be a fractured left elbow. Dillon Brooks was ejected from the game after receiving a Flagrant Foul Penalty 2.

Dillon Brooks was ejected for this flagrant 2 on Gary Payton.

pic.twitter.com/uO3ZKrNciJ

— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 4, 2022

On Wednesday morning, ESPN’s JJ Redick shared his thoughts on the play made by Brooks.

“I absolutely think that he broke the code. I am not calling Dillon Brooks a dirty player, but this was a dirty play,” Reddick said on SportsCenter.

“When you are on a fast break and you jump and you have that momentum carrying you forward, as a player, you are in a very vulnerable position. You saw this earlier in the year when Alex Caruso goes up for a dunk, Grayson Allen has a follow-through, Alex breaks his wrist. Myself, I had this happen four times in my career. When you jump and you leave your feet, you are in a vulnerable position and Dillon Brooks made a play on the body, he did not make a play on the ball and he hit his [Gary Payton II] head. It is absolutely a dirty play.”

Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr was irate when the foul happened during Game 2 and called the play by Brooks “dirty” both during and after the game.

Kerr on Dillon Brooks’ Flagrant 2 foul on GP2: “That wasn’t physical, that was dirty”pic.twitter.com/48m9jerVqq

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) May 4, 2022

Payton is scheduled for an MRI on Wednesday, but it appears as if he is going to be sidelined indefinitely, a big blow to the Golden State Warriors as a whole given that he is one of their best perimeter defenders and drew the assignment on All-Star guard Ja Morant through the first two games of this series.

The Warriors will host the Grizzlies for Game 3 in this Western Conference Semifinals series on Saturday night in San Francisco. 

Related stories on NBA basketball

• Disappointing Injury Update About Warriors' Gary Payton II: According to ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Gary Payton II sustained a fractured left elbow in Game 2 against the Memphis Grizzlies and will undergo an MRI on Wednesday. CLICK HERE.
• Here's What Steve Kerr Said After The Warriors Lost Game 2: Steve Kerr met with the media after the Golden State Warriors lost Game 2 to the Memphis Grizzlies. CLICK HERE.