The league announced on Thursday that they have rescinded the technical foul assessed to the Phoenix Suns forward during the third quarter of last night's game against the Miami Heat. The call originally came after a heated sequence where Brooks appeared to shove Heat guard Norman Powell, leading to a scuffle that saw Powell held back by teammate Bam Adebayo.
While the “Villain” caught a break with the league office, the Suns couldn't catch one on the scoreboard, falling to Miami 127-121.
Despite the loss, Brooks was the engine for Phoenix's offense, dropping a team-high 25 points on 11-of-24 shooting to go with four rebounds and two steals.
However, his touch deserted him from deep, as he shot a dismal 1-for-10 from three-point range. On the other side, Powell had the last laugh in the personal duel, pouring in 27 points along with five rebounds to help Miami secure the win. Adebayo led all scorers with 29 points and nine boards.
The rescinded tech is significant for Brooks and the Suns. Before the correction, Brooks was sitting at 15 technical fouls, just one shy of an automatic one-game suspension. Now, he drops back down to 14 technicals on the season.
While that still leads the NBA, it gives him a slightly longer leash (two more techs before a suspension) as Phoenix tries to navigate the crowded Western Conference standings.
Brooks and the Suns will look to bounce back and keep their emotions in check when they take the court for their next matchup. For now, at least, Brooks avoids the suspension list.
