by Memphis Grizzlies small forward Dillon Brooks doesn’t usually back down against any of his NBA opponents.
Mavericks star Luka Doncic is the latest player to fall into Brooks’ crosshairs.
Just before Saturday’s Grizzlies-Mavericks matchup, Brooks questioned Doncic’s toughness after learning the Mavs star would not play because of a thigh injury.
“It shows that sometimes they’re not ready to go back to a physical game,” Brooks said of Doncic’s absence, according to Damichael Cole of The Commercial Appeal of Memphis.
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Luka Doncic (77) of the Dallas Mavericks and Dillon Brooks (24) of the Memphis Grizzlies during a game at the FedEx Forum on December 8, 2021 in Memphis. (Justin Ford/Getty Images)
Brooks also told reporters that he wanted to play Doncic in the teams’ upcoming matchups later this season.
The rivals played on October 22, but Brooks was sidelined with injury. Doncic’s 32 points led the Mavs to a 137-96 blowout.
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“I hope Luka comes back for the next game so I can protect him,” Brooks added, according to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I didn’t get a chance to protect him in the first game, and he had a great game. So I want to see where I’m at.”
Dillon Brooks (24) of the Memphis Grizzlies fights with Donovan Mitchell (45) of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the third quarter at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse on February 2, 2023 in Cleveland. (Jason Miller/Getty Images)
Kyrie Irving was not exempt from Brooks’ trash talk. Brooks said he was excited about the prospect of playing Irving while Doncic sat on the sidelines.
“Now I can just catch it today, so I want to see what it’s all about,” Brooks said. “He had a word or two for me in Brooklyn, so I can’t wait to pick him up full every time and see him exhausted.”
Saturday’s game marked the first of three meetings between the Mavs and Grizzlies in the next ten days.
Brooks is fresh off his latest feud involving Warriors forward Draymond Green. After Golden State lost to Memphis on Thursday, Brooks and Green continued their increasingly bitter feud.
After Brooks hit a layup to give the Grizzlies a 74-57 lead late in the second quarter, things got tough between Brooks and Green.
After the game, Brooks punched Green when Brooks was asked what he said to Green before their brief altercation.
“That’s what I do, I talk,” Brooks said. “I told him… stay on the mic, you’re better on the mic than playing, you know what I’m saying? So keep doing your podcast, keep blogging, keep doing your thing off the court. It’s cute, it’s fun.” . for him.”
Draymond Green (23) of the Golden State Warriors and Dillon Brooks (24) of the Memphis Grizzlies exchange words during the second quarter at the Chase Center on December 25, 2022 in San Francisco. (Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Brooks also suggested that he gets motivated to play at a high level every time Green talks about him.
“You should give Draymond the mic. Get him to keep talking about me so I can play better,” Brooks added.
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The Mavericks will be cautious in how they handle Doncic’s injury. The Mavericks are six games behind the Grizzlies in the Southwest Division. Memphis is ranked No. 3 in the Western Conference, while Dallas would be the No. 6 seed if the playoffs began today.
