Grizzlies’ Brooks struggles in return from suspension, to Warriors fans’
delight
Dillon Brooks took his shots in Game 4 of the Grizzlies' series with the
Warriors, but he missed most of them
Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) takes a 3-point shot over
>Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, left, during the second
half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball Western Conference playoff semifinal
in San Francisco, Monday, May 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
Memphis Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks (24) takes a 3-point shot over
>Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, left, during the second
half of Game 4 of an NBA basketball Western Conference playoff semifinal
in San Francisco, Monday, May 9, 2022. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)
By MICHAEL NOWELS | mnowels@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
PUBLISHED: May 10, 2022 at 5:30 a.m. | UPDATED: May 10, 2022 at 5:30 a.m.
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2022/05/10/grizzlies-brooks-struggles-in-return-from-suspension-vs-warriors/

In his return from a one-game suspension Monday night, Dillon Brooks
played solid defense against the Warriors’ sharpshooters as Golden State
struggled to find a rhythm.

But for seemingly every miss Brooks saw on defense, he equaled it on
offense.

He started the game 3-of-17 from the field before making a key layup
late in the fourth quarter and a meaningless banked 3-pointer at the
buzzer, just his second make from behind the arc in nine tries as the
Warriors beat the Grizzlies 101-98 to take a 3-1 series lead.

He’s now just 8-of-35 from the field for the series.

After the game, Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins defended his decision to
play Brooks down the stretch: “I loved what he was doing defensively.
Had a big three, big two late in the game, just ball wasn’t bouncing for
him the majority of the game, but got a lot of trust in that guy.”

In the fourth quarter, Brooks’ impact on defense melted away, too. Steph
Curry, Brooks’ main defensive assignment, poured in 18 points to lead
the Warriors’ comeback effort. Curry was 10-of-25 for the game, but he
was 5-of-9 against Brooks, according to ESPN.

The schadenfreude was strong with Dub Nation after Brooks injured Gary
Payton II in Game 2 with a hard foul, drawing the suspension after it
was announced that Payton had fractured his elbow.

The Chase Center crowd booed Brooks all night long whenever he touched
the ball, but they may have done better to cheer him for each shot he
took, including an out-of-rhythm stepback 3 with a one-point lead and
under a minute to play.

“Our fans will let you know if you wronged them,” Klay Thompson said
after the game. “I guess good job, Dub Nation.”

--
warriorsworld
@warriorsworld
🫣🫣🫣🫣
[video]

10:41 PM · May 9, 2022
1.8K Reply Share
--

Brooks wasn’t alone in struggling on jumpers: Jaren Jackson Jr. was
0-of-7 on 3-point attempts.

With no Ja Morant, the Grizzlies had to adjust their offense, and Morant
had scored 34 and 47 points in consecutive games. Replacing that
production is not simple, even for a team that had gone 20-5 without
Morant in the regular season.

>RELATED ARTICLES
The Warriors have problems; here are the solutions
How the Warriors plan to flush their Game 5 blowout loss
Photos: Golden State Warriors sing the Memphis blues during epic loss
to the Grizzlies in Game 5
Kurtenbach: The deeper meaning behind the Warriors’ embarrassing Game
5 loss
Careless mistakes, lack of aggression led to Warriors’ ’embarrassing’
Game 5 loss in Memphis

But one has to imagine Memphis would have liked to see sharpshooter
Desmond Bane take more than four 3s in his 37 minutes.

Brooks did add eight assists to help his team, but he made several key
turnovers in the second half that helped the Warriors stay in the game.

While basketball observers across the internet criticized Brooks’ play,
his teammates had his back in postgame comments.

“Keep shooting. We live and die with him,” Kyle Anderson said.

--
Tony Jones
@Tjonesonthenba
Dillon Brooks has single-handedly wrecked Memphis tonight and it’s crazy
that Jenkins has kept him on the floor
9:26 PM · May 9, 2022
794 Reply Share
--
Kevin O'Connor
@KevinOConnorNBA
I’m baffled Taylor Jenkins played Dillon Brooks for 39 minutes. What’s
the point of having such a deep bench if you’re leaving a shot-chucker
out there? There were other options. Brooks made so many terrible
choices and shots that helped the Grizzlies lose a winnable game.
9:44 PM · May 9, 2022
4.8K Reply Share
--
Molly Morrison
@mollyhannahm
dillon brooks tonight:
[pic]
8:39 PM · May 9, 2022
2.4K Reply Share

--
Michael Nowels | Digital Sports Strategist
Mike covers sports.