Rockets' Dillon Brooks Ejected After Exchange with Suns' Kevin Durant, Nick Richards

Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks had his night end early in Sunday's game against the Phoenix Suns.

Brooks was ejected from the game in the second quarter after a physical exchange with Suns star Kevin Durant and center Nick Richards. He also appeared to direct his anger toward a referee, which resulted in his second technical foul. Durant and Richards both were assessed a technical foul as well.

Brooks had eight points, a rebound, an assist, a steal and a block before exiting the game. The Rockets had a 55-38 lead at the time of his ejection and closed the second quarter on a 23-11 run to take a 78-49 lead into halftime on the Suns' home floor at Footprint Center.

Brooks is known for his hot temper and defensive intensity, so Sunday's incident isn't much of a surprise. He's among the league leaders in technical fouls and will be suspended for Monday's game against the Los Angeles Lakers after surpassing the 16-technical foul threshold that requires a one-game ban. With Brooks leading the way, Houston has been one of the edgier teams in the league this season:

However, the Rockets have used their testy nature to carry them to success this season, as they entered Sunday's game ranked second in the Western Conference with a 48-26 record. Houston is well on its way to making the playoffs for the first time since 2020, so the team likely won't be changing its formula anytime soon.

Losing Brooks means that there will be more minutes available for players like Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason and Jeff Green.