Dillon Brooks Suspension: Why did NBA suspend Memphis Grizzlies guard and when will he play his next game?

The latest string of bad news to hit the Memphis Grizzlies comes courtesy of Shams Charania, who is reporting that Dillon Brooks has been suspended for one game. As the team looks to stave off a streaking Sacramento Kings in the Western Conference standings, they've been hit with a series of bad luck.

Brooks will miss Sunday's showdown with the LA Clippers thanks to the technical foul he received in the Grizzlies' 97-113 loss to the Nuggets. The tech marked his 16th of the season, triggering the league's rule that sees a player forced to miss one game. In addition, Brooks automatically incurs a $5,000 fine.

Dillon Brooks will be back in action on Tuesday when the Grizzlies play the LA Lakers on TNT. Unfortunately, the team will still be without Ja Morant, who also picked up a two-game suspension this week after brandishing a gun on Instagram live. The Grizzlies also got some bad news regarding Brandon Clarke.

After going down in the Grizzlies' game against the Nuggets, it was determined that the budding young star had torn his ACL and would miss the entire season. Although the team's playoff spot is likely secured given their current record, their chances of overtaking the Denver Nuggets are dwindling.

Above are the highlights from the team's recent loss to the Denver Nuggets, which has many concerned for a potential playoff matchup.

Dillon Brooks' Season

This has been an up-and-down year for Brooks. After entering the league and making an immediate impact with the Grizzlies, he missed most of his sophomore year. Once he returned to the lineup for the 2019-20 season, his game took a notable leap.

Over the course of the last three seasons, his game and his stats have continued to improve. Last year, Dillon Brooks averaged a career-high 18.4 points per game, while shooting 43.2% from the floor, and 30.9% from beyond the arc.

Memphis Grizzlies v Cleveland Cavaliers

This year, he's struggled at times, averaging 14.4 points per game on 38.9% from the field. At the same time, he's shooting 79.4% from the line, compared to 84.9% the season prior, and 81.5% the 2020-21 season before that.

In the wake of the technical, head coach Taylor Jenkins spoke about the situation, knowing full well that a suspension was likely coming. He spoke after the game to defend Dillon Brooks and let him know that the team has his back.

“He and I talk about it. I won’t go into full detail because I want to keep that stuff private. I always tell him to keep that competitive edge, because that’s what makes him special… When there’s opportunity teach him and grow. We have great honest dialogue where he knows he can stretch us too far or he’s gotta do more.”

While this hasn't been the first time that Dillon Brooks has drawn criticism for his play and the technical fouls that come with it, the Grizzlies have never seen it that way. During the Playoffs last year, Brooks was accused of being a dirty player after a flagrant two foul on Gary Payton II. Despite that, Jenkins defended him at the time.

Only time will tell whether or not the Grizzlies can make a run at the top spot in the West.