Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks fined for hit on Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis

Brooks fouled Theis during the first quarter on Tuesday

The NBA announced on Thursday that Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has been fined $25,000 for his infraction against Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis.

The play occurred early in the Pacers preseason battle with the Rockets on Tuesday — just over four-and-a-half minutes into the action. Theis was setting a screen when Brooks appeared to intentionally hit him below the belt with his left arm/hand.

Dillon Brooks was ejected just 5 minutes into his preseason debut with the Rockets after hitting Daniel Theis below the belt on this play 😬pic.twitter.com/df7BWUVor6

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 11, 2023

Brooks was ejected, and he finished the game with one assist and two fouls. It was his preseason debut for Houston, he joined the Rockets in July.

Theis, meanwhile, stayed in the game. It was his eighth appearance total for Indiana since the team acquired him in the 2022 offseason. He played 18 minutes and had two points and five rebounds.

The German big man is currently in a battle for the backup center job for the blue and gold. He is the most accomplished of the three players competing for the role, but he is also the oldest and has an expiring contract. Indiana's short and long-term goals will play a factor in the decision.

Theis is now healthy, though, and fresh off a gold medal journey with Germany in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. He loved the experience and is looking forward to building off of it for the Pacers this season.

Theis played for the Rockets for 26 games in the 2021-22 season. He averaged 7.0 points and 3.1 rebounds per game for Indiana last season, though he missed much of the season after knee surgery. His first appearance in 2023-24 was about at expectation, though Theis likely would have preferred not getting hit by Brooks.

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