Lakers Support Jarred Vanderbilt After Ejected From Scuffle With Dillon Brooks

Los Angeles Lakers forward Jarred Vanderbilt was ejected in the team’s loss to the Rockets on Monday night after a scuffle with Houston’s Dillon Brooks. It began with Brooks giving Vanderbilt a push while he went up for a dunk in the early second quarter, followed by Vanderbilt pushing Brooks on the next possession.

Vanderbilt was given a technical foul, then while still arguing with Brooks, he poked him in the back of the head, ultimately leading to his ejection. Despite his early leave from the game, Lakers players and coaches backed Vanderbilt and denounced Brooks.

“He’s going for a wide-open dunk and [Brooks] just pushed him in the back,” Lakers Anthony Davis said. “It’s not a safe play. Guys get hurt like that. And you got to know what type of player [Brooks] is. [The referees] kind of let that just keep going on and [Brooks] kind of provoked it.”

Vanderbilt has been averaging 5.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game in the 29 games he has played for the Lakers this season, and it was the first ejection of his career. The 2018 second-round pick from Kentucky did not talk to reporters about the incident after the game.

“I feel like he may feel like I did a dirty play,” Brooks said. “When he feels that way, he likes to bump. It’s basketball. We bump and tussle. I feel like he took it a little too far.”

Though the scuffle ended Vanderbilt’s night, Brooks didn’t receive any fouls for that occasion. He did, however, later in the game hit LeBron James in the face which resulted in a Flagrant 1 foul. Brooks and James have a history going back multiple years, and Lebron also decided not to comment about Brooks after the game.

Brooks has five career ejections and 27 total disqualifications in his career but has made a name for himself as a strong defensive presence on the perimeter. After leaving the Grizzlies, Brooks signed a four-year $86 million deal with the Rockets over the summer. So far this year, he is averaging 13.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 31 minutes per game.

“But … putting players at risk of injury with certain plays – I just watched it again [on video] before I came in here, [Brooks] pushes him in the back, a guy that’s in the air. Airborne, defenseless. Then Bron’s play,” Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said. “So maybe Dillon Brooks shouldn’t have been in the game, either.”

The Rockets ended up winning the game 135-119, moving to 2-0 against the Lakers this season. Both teams currently have similar records close to .500, and could perhaps match up in the NBA Play-In Tournament to make the playoffs. If they do face off again, that matchup will most likely be without Vanderbilt, as the forward is now out indefinitely after suffering a non-contact right foot injury against the Celtics on Thursday night.