Less than three minutes into Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals, Dillon Brooks wound up and swung hard and recklessly at a leaping Gary Payton II, hitting him on the head.
Payton II tried to brace his fall, but in doing so, landed hard on his left arm, fracturing his left elbow and sustaining ligament and muscle damage, as the Warriors announced on Thursday.
The Warriors said Payton II would be re-evaluated in two weeks, but given that it’s his shooting arm, it seems unlikely he’ll be able to return this season.
Given all that context, the NBA announced that Brooks would be suspended for Game 3, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The one-game suspension was the expected minimum for the action, especially given the injury to Payton II, but some may wonder if Brooks should have been suspended longer.