The NBA announced discipline for Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks on Friday on the heels of their scuffle during the Cavaliers’ 128–113 victory over the Grizzlies in Cleveland Thursday night.
Brooks received a one-game suspension without pay while Mitchell was assessed a fine of $20,000 for their roles in the altercation, which resulted in the ejection of both players in the third quarter. The Grizzlies guard is expected to serve his suspension on Sunday when Memphis host the Raptors; according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the suspension will cost Brooks $78,621.
Per the league’s press release, the punishment was decided after it was determined that Brooks “initiated the altercation by striking Mitchell in the groin area in an unsportsmanlike manner” before the Cavs star escalated the situation.
Thursday’s incident occurred after Brooks bumped into Mitchell as he was driving to the basket before getting knocked to the ground on the shot attempt following a block by Cavs forward Evan Mobley. After grabbing the rebound, Mitchell took a shot below the waist from Brooks’s left arm after he rolled over and looked around at the officials for a foul while he was down.
Mitchell tossed the ball at Brooks after briefly falling to the floor, and proceeded to shove him in the chest after the two stood to their feet. The pair then began shoving each other into the pool of photographers behind the basket, prompting the officials and players from both teams to jump in and attempt to break up the melee. At the time of the scuffle, Cleveland led Memphis 81–76 with 5:48 to play in the quarter.
Following a review, Mitchell and Brooks were ejected from the contest after receiving a technical foul and Flagrant Foul 2, respectively. Prior to exiting, Mitchell, a 2022 All-Star starter, logged six points, four rebounds and three assists while Brooks recorded nine points, two rebounds and an assist.
