The Suns’ loss to the Nuggets ended with Dillon Brooks out of the game and a lot of debate about whether the ejection fit the moment. Brooks was tossed midway through the third quarter after kicking Jamal Murray in the groin area while going up for a jumper, and the play was ruled a flagrant 2, which brings an automatic ejection.
Not everyone around Phoenix saw it as a dirty play. Coach Jordan Ott pushed back on the call, saying, “I know players’ feet swing all the time,” Ott said.
“It was a couple of possessions before that I was trying to tell the officials they are national team teammates. Like, they were going back and forth.
It’s nothing malicious. They’ve played together.
Probably played together forever. We’ll see if we can find another flagrant 2 on that play around the league.
I hope reputation doesn’t play into that, but it was just competitive guys going at it and they probably have for 10 years. Just unfortunate we get the short end of the stick on some of them.”
Murray didn’t sound convinced there was any bad intent either, even while acknowledging the back-and-forth between the two. He said the trash talk had been going on all game, which he described as normal when they face each other.
“I don’t think he really tried to kick me in the (expletive) though,” Murray said. “That’s what he did.”
Phoenix also got a mixed night from its rotation pieces. Jalen Green stayed in the starting five, but the fit still looked awkward.
He finished with two points on six shots in 25 minutes. Collin Gillespie, who started last season while Green was sidelined, came off the bench and gave the Suns a lift with 16 points and 10 assists in 33 minutes.
Even so, Ott said the team is sticking with Green, and Gillespie backed that up, saying they’re “riding with JG 100 times out of 100 times.”
Oso Ighodaro returned after missing two games with an oblique strain and made his presence felt right away, posting nine rebounds and five assists in 20 minutes. Still, Rankin argued the Suns should keep 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach in the starting role at center so he can keep developing.
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