DeMar DeRozan, the prominent figure of the Chicago Bulls, found himself at odds with Dillon Brooks of the Houston Rockets, culminating in both players being ejected during the third quarter of Thursday’s game, which saw the Rockets secure a 127-117 victory.
In a heated moment during the third quarter with the Bulls trailing by nine, DeRozan charged aggressively toward Rockets guard Jalen Green, resulting in a collision that sent Green to the floor. As Green lay in discomfort, Brooks confronted DeRozan, triggering a significant altercation that required intervention from multiple players, coaches, and officials.
DeRozan was slapped with a flagrant-2 foul for his collision with Green, leading to his ejection, while Brooks received a technical foul and was also ejected for his involvement in the altercation.
Expressing his discontent, DeRozan voiced his dissatisfaction with Brooks’ approach, stating, “Just walking up on me in any type of way. I don’t play the walking up on somebody when their back is turned. Nah, that’s just not a thing we do. I walked away from the situation after the foul. I just felt like it’s an issue walking up on any man from behind.”
DeRozan also explained the circumstances surrounding the foul, asserting that it was accidental: “I was surprised just from the simple fact that I was trying to hedge out and just be aggressive, obviously bumped him, but if you look at it, I kind of tripped into it. I’m not dumb. These days, it’s just so hard to tell when you go back and look at a review. It wasn’t anything I was trying to do intentionally.”
Expressing regret for not being able to finish the game alongside his teammates, DeRozan acknowledged feeling remorseful about the situation.
At the time of his ejection, DeRozan had contributed 16 points on 4-of-15 shooting, along with two rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Meanwhile, Brooks was instrumental for the Rockets, tallying 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting before his ejection.
DeRozan’s absence proved detrimental for the Bulls, depriving them of their key player, and making their uphill battle even steeper. Despite Ayo Dosunmu’s impressive offensive display with 35 points, the Bulls couldn’t muster enough support to stage a comeback.
Green, despite the collision, continued his stellar performance and led the Rockets with 26 points in 40 minutes of play.
The loss prevented the Bulls from reaching the .500 mark, leaving them with a 34-36 record and placing them ninth in the Eastern Conference standings. On the other hand, the Rockets’ victory pushed them to a 34-35 record, positioning them 2.5 games behind the Golden State Warriors for the coveted No. 10 seed in the Western Conference, the final postseason play-in spot.
