Dillon Brooks suspended for Game 3 vs. Warriors

Memphis Grizzlies SG Dillon Brooks will be suspended for Game 3 of the second round vs. the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night. Brooks was tossed from Game 2 vs. the Warriors after fouling Gary Payton II hard in the first quarter of Memphis’ win to tie the series 1-1. Payton was ruled out for 3-5 weeks, potentially the rest of the postseason, pending how far Golden State advances.

Does the punishment fit the crime? Probably not considering how long Payton will be sidelined. Brooks missed basically all of Game 2 and the Grizzlies still managed to win. In Game 1, Brooks only had 8 points in 30 minutes, so his impact wasn’t too high anyway. He did average 16.5 points per game in the Grizzlies’ first-round win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

We’ll see how much this impacts the betting market for Game 3. Right now, the Brooks suspension has the line at Warriors -7 on the spread. Losing Payton vs. Brooks is an L for the Dubs overall. The Warriors at home is why the spread is this high. Considering how little Brooks’ absence impacted the Grizz in Game 2, it may not be a bad idea to roll with the points and Memphis. The Dubs should win, though the game could end up being close. Also factor what the hard foul and suspension could do to motivate guys like Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson.