(New York) Houston Rockets guard Dillon Brooks was fined $25,000 by the NBA on Thursday for punching Indiana Pacers center Daniel Theis in the groin during a a home victory in preseason on Tuesday.
The league said Brooks “made reckless contact” with Theis in the first quarter, a hit that left the German doubled over. Brooks was penalized for a flagrant foul on the play and expelled at 4:33 of the first period of Houston’s success (122-103) over the Pacers.
Brooks, who led the NBA in technical fouls last season, said after the game that he felt “harassed” by the referees because of his reputation, with the 27-year-old Canadian calling himself ” Bad Dillon” due to his previous misdeeds.
During last season’s playoffs, Brooks – then playing for Memphis – slammed his left hand into LeBron James’ groin as the Los Angeles Lakers star dribbled the ball, just 17 seconds into the third quarter of the third game, getting ejected for a second flagrant foul.
Memphis lost to the Lakers in six games and Brooks, who had criticized James for being “old” at 38, was traded from the Grizzlies to Houston last July.
