HOUSTON — Rockets forward Dillon Brooks sent a message to the rest of the NBA before he even stepped onto the Toyota Center court.
“When you come to play in Houston, you know it’s going to be a physical battle,” Brooks said in October 2023 as part of his first press conference since signing with the Rockets. “It’s going to be a challenge. When you come to play in Houston, you know it’s going to be a physical battle. This is going to be a challenge. It’s no longer just a walk in the park when you come to Houston.
As the 2023-24 season now enters its final month, those words are as strong as the day he spoke them – and throughout the season, Brooks and his teammates have put them into action.
Toughness is a trait that Brooks displayed during his time with the Grizzlies, as he faced Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James in the 2023 NBA playoffs. Although Memphis ultimately lost that series, Brooks didn’t flinch.
Never forget that Dillon Brooks is in business…
“When you come to play in Houston, you know it’s going to be a physical battle. This is going to be a challenge. It’s no longer just a walk in the park when you come to Houston.#Rockets #Serge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/lfDc1EQbON– #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) March 22, 2024
In Houston, the unwavering mindset starts with head coach Ime Udoka, who believes his team must fight fire with fire when opponents try to intimidate them with their physicality on the court. This is what the Bulls tried to do on Thursday during Houston’s 127-117 victory.
With 6:02 left in the third quarter, Chicago forward DeMar DeRozan committed a serious offense against Rockets guard Jalen Green, sending him to the ground while wincing in pain.
As medical personnel rushed to check on him, DeRozan and Brooks got into an altercation, which then led to DeRozan elbowing Brooks in the chin. This led to an on-field encounter between the two teams, with teammates and coaches separating them.
“One guy takes a hit, and his teammates are going to fight back,” Rockets HC Ime Udoka said in his postgame press conference. “You saw about three or four (on the field), and that’s a good thing, in my opinion.” #Rockets #Serge @TheRocketsWire pic.twitter.com/ABi0aTiYpL
– #SARGE (@BigSargeSportz) March 22, 2024
Once officials reviewed the video footage, they determined that DeRozan’s foul on Green was a Flagrant 2and he was ejected from the game. Brooks received a technical foul and was ejected, as the referees determined he had made the situation worse.
“I didn’t like it since he [Brooks] got elbowed, he came closer and didn’t say anything crazy,” Udoka said of the fight. “What they say the rules are, it’s the guy who kind of instigates them, who gets to this stage after DeRozan did what he did… he got (ejected) because of it .I don’t like that it was touched, but if you step on it, that’s basically the rule, and that’s how they explained it to me.
Even though the Rockets lost one of their most potent offensive weapons in Brooks, who scored 23 points in 25 minutes played while playing excellent defense against DeRozan, Houston did not succumb to the Brutal play of the Bulls. Instead, the Rockets used it as motivation to finish the game and earn their seventh straight victory.
“It’s been good,” Udoka said when asked if his team had played more physical in recent weeks. “I think we talked from the start of the season about effort and competitiveness. It’s not a bad thing to have these kinds of chippy games… I don’t mind it at all.
“It’s good that the guys are fighting and getting competitive,” Udoka said of his team’s improvement. “We’re all playing for something and they’re not backing down. A guy takes a hit and his teammates will defend themselves. You’ve seen about three or four [on-court scuffles]and that’s a good thing, in my opinion.
