Suns’ Dillon Brooks Suggests Media To Interview Referees Following Game 2 Loss

Dillon Brooks and the Phoenix Suns had a frustrating Game 2 against the OKC Thunder in their first-round series. 

Brooks put up 30 points but fouled out late in the game as the Suns lost to the Thunder, 120-107, falling two games down in the series. 

Numerous questionable calls and controversial non-calls from both squads also hampered the game. Considering the gravity and quantity of the calls in the game, Brooks suggested that the media also ask referees questions after games to explain their side on some questionable whistles throughout the game. 

“Ya’ll should be interviewing the officials. That should be a new thing in the NBA,” Brook said. “Officials got to explain themselves because it’s getting ridiculous when you can see it. It starts getting fiery. No control out there. Now they’re just whistling on one side.”

The Suns were called with 25 fouls in Game 2, four more than the Thunder. Brooks led a spirited rally for the Suns in the fourth quarter but ultimately fell short. 

Brooks had numerous chippy moments in the game, including one verbal altercation against fellow Canadian Lu Dort in the fourth quarter. Another one came when he was called for a reach-in foul when guarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, to which the Suns guard reacted with a flopping gesture. 

The Suns shot 18-of-22 from the free-throw line during the game. Meanwhile, the Thunder finished with slightly more at 20-of-25. 

There was also a contentious technical foul whistled on Suns’ Devin Booker after appearing to throw the ball to Thunder’s Jaylin Williams, who was called for a personal foul. Book was also on the wrong end of an offensive foul after an unnatural shooting motion against the Thunder’s Alex Caruso. 

Devin Booker Echoes Dillon Brooks Statement About Referees

GettyDevin Booker backs up Dillon Brooks’ statements after Game 2.

Devin Booker echoed Dillon Brooks in his post-game press conference, saying that the referees should be accountable for their calls in Game 2. 

“It’s bad for the sport, bad for the integrity of the sport. People are going to start viewing this as the WWE if they’re not held responsible,” Booker said. 

Booker was particularly mad for referee James Williams, especially on his technical foul call in the fourth quarter, accusing him of merely going by what Caruso suggested during the heat of the moment. 

“It’s definitely something that has to be looked into. I heard Caruso tell them to call the tech, and he ended up doing it. In my 11 years, I haven’t called a ref out by name, but James was terrible tonight, through and through,” he said. 

Booker also suggested to just watch the clips and judge for themselves, as he believed the referees made some bad calls in the game. 

The league has yet to provide a statement about the players’ frustrations with the calls. However, it is another case of a team’s rant against the Thunder, which has built a reputation of getting favorable calls over the past two seasons. 

Suns-Thunder Series Now Shifts to Phoenix

GettyIt’s the Thunder and the Suns in Round 1.

After struggling in Oklahoma City over the past two games, the Suns will get a chance to bounce back on their home floor as Games 3 and 4 will be played in Phoenix. 

The Suns lost via blowout in Game 1, 119-84, before the Game 2 defeat, where the Thunder had control for most of the game. 

Game 3 will tip off on Saturday, April 25, at 3:30 Eastern time at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. 

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