We’re about a week removed from the reckless play by Grizzlies guard Dillon Brooks that took down Gary Payton II for possibly the rest of the Warriors’ playoff run. Despite multiple opportunities to do so, Brooks has been removed from media availability multiple times, a decision that the Grizzlies top brass likely made until things could cool down a bit.

Unfortunately for Brooks, things have definitely not calmed down. His suspension from Game 3 would have likely been the end of the story had the injury narratives not continued. From Desmond Bane jumping into Jordan Poole’s legs instead of going for a loose ball, to Poole making brushing contact with Ja Morant’s knee, to Morant tripping Steph Curry instead of letting him get by on a drive, it’s been an ugly series, and the myriad of “dirty play” that’s been talked about has kept Brooks’ actions relevant.

It wasn’t until today that he was finally made available for commentary to the media, and he kicked off his presser by addressing the issue.

“I didn’t mean to hurt somebody” Brooks said. “If I could take it back, I would.”

It’s a serviceable answer, but Brooks continued on and made it relatively clear that he didn’t have much remorse for his recklessness:

Dillon Brooks has a bit of a reputation when it comes to playing dirty. While it’s not obscenely obvious like it’s been in this series, he’s noticeably been that kind of player: He’s constantly in foul trouble despite having a reputation as a tough defender, a nod he hasn’t really earned considering Steph Curry averages about 38 points per game when being checked by him. The “tough guy” act is a bit of an oversell, and he’s essentially become the guy who everyone used to think Marcus Smart and Patrick Beverly were.

The reactions to Brooks’ actions have been, expectedly, very negative. The NBA world at large had plenty to say about it, but Warriors coach Steve Kerr was probably the most outspoken. Kerr, a former teammate of Michael Jordan (who was the target of the Detroit Pistons and their infamous “Jordan Rules”), made it very clear that despite having played in a more physical era during the playoffs, there’s a code that should not be broken between players when it comes to that kind of reckless behavior.

Brooks’ response was to basically cop out and say “I don’t know what he’s referring to” when he was asked about Kerr’s comments.

The Warriors beat the Grizzlies by 30 points in Game 3 with Brooks absent, although it likely wouldn’t have mattered considering Brooks has almost as many total fouls as he does points in his last 4 games. He’s been pretty bad this series in particular despite being a decent shooter, but the Warriors have done a good job of bottling him and Desmond Bane up while allowing Morant to thrive. The strategy’s been working, as they’re now up 2-1.

The Dubs will play at home tonight in Brooks’ return, which should draw the ire of the crowd at Chase Center. Despite their best efforts, the Grizzlies have not been able to get Jordan Poole suspended for Game 4 to try and give themselves a fighting chance. While Ja Morant is supposedly questionable due to a knee injury sustained by jumping into Klay Thompson on a closeout, there’s a possibility that he’ll play tonight due to a lack of MRI results or tangible diagnosis on what his injury is.

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