After throwing an impressive 3-point jump shot over a Slovenia defender, Canada’s forward Dillon Brooks addressed a few words to his opponent. However, the umpires noticed this and considered it an unsportsmanlike taunt, resulting in a disqualifying foul and Brooks’s elimination from the game.
Funnily enough, Brooks was spotted waiting for his teammates in the arena’s tunnel after the fight while wearing a pair of boxing gloves. Brooks and the rest of Team Canada celebrated the massive 100-89 win over Slovenia as they made their way to the semi-finals of the 2023 FIBA World Championship.
Meanwhile, a number of NBA fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their reactions to Brooks’ post-game antics.
“Dillon Brooks plays the tough guy at the weakest point,” wrote one fan. Fan Reaction #1 Fan Reaction #2 Fan Reaction #3 Fan Reaction #4 Fan Reaction #5 Fan Reaction #6 Fan Reaction #7 Fan Reaction #8
After the game, Brooks could be seen again celebrating with his teammates in the Canada team’s locker room while still wearing boxing gloves.
In addition to the suspension of the former Memphis Grizzlies winger, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was also sent off for his two technical fouls.
His second foul occurred in the fourth quarter after he reacted to the referee for not making a decision from the side. Doncic felt he deserved a call from the referee after there was a touch during his shot attempt.
The use of Canada guard Dillon Brooks against Slovenia
Before being ruled out of the game, Dillon Brooks contributed 14 points (5 of 7 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range) and three rebounds.
His performance against Slovenia builds on his 22-point performance against defending FIBA World Cup champions Spain, where his shooting technique proved crucial throughout the stretch.
Dillon Brooks’ 14 points matched Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s effort, who contributed 14 points (5 of 8 shots, including 3 of 6 from distance).
OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also shone as he led his team to victory with a 31-point performance (8 of 12 shots, including 1 of 4 from 3-point range).
As a team, Canada shot with an impressive 50.8% shooting efficiency, 36.7% of which was from 3-point range. They held Slovenia at a 43.9% shot rate, despite shots from outside the archway at 48.4%.
In addition, Luka Doncic had 26 points (8 of 20 shots, including 4 of 6 from 3-point distance) to top all scorers for Slovenia.
In the semifinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Canada will face the Serbian men’s basketball team. Going into the game, Slovenia hold a 5-1 record in the tournament, similar to Canada’s record.
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