Suns forward Dillon Brooks has been suspended one game without pay after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season, the league announced.
That is the automatic trigger point under NBA rules. Hit 16 technicals and the next game comes off the schedule. Every two after that brings another one-game suspension.
Brooks was whistled for the technical with 6:37 left in the second quarter of Wednesday’s 136-109 loss to the Thunder. He will serve the suspension Feb. 19 when Phoenix plays at San Antonio.
None of this is exactly out of character. Brooks plays on the edge, lives there, and occasionally steps over it. The Suns knew that when they brought him in.
Around the league, he is not alone. Luka Doncic sits at 13 technicals, Isaiah Stewart has 12, and Draymond Green has 11.
Stewart, of course, is currently serving a seven-game suspension tied to his role in the Pistons-Hornets brawl earlier this week.
For Brooks, it is a one-game reminder that the margin is thin from here on out. One more stretch of whistle-heavy nights, and this will not be the last time he is watching in street clothes.
Looking for the latest NBA Insider News & Rumors?
Be sure to follow Hoops Wire on TWITTER and FACEBOOK for breaking NBA News and Rumors for all 30 teams!
