Dillon Brooks picks up 16th technical foul of season, faces one-game suspension

On Wednesday night, Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks was whistled for his 16th technical foul of the season. Per NBA rules, Brooks will have to serve a one-game suspension without pay unless the league decides to rescind the technical foul. Phoenix next plays after the All-Star break on Feb. 19 at the San Antonio Spurs.

Brooks picked up the technical foul midway through the second quarter while defending Jared McCain as the Oklahoma City Thunder guard drove to the basket. After getting called for a foul, Brooks exchanged words with official James Williams. Williams called the technical.

After the game, Brooks said Williams told him that he plays “the victim all the time,” and when he doesn’t, he carries himself like “I’m a bad guy.”

When asked what he looks for in the officiating, Brooks said: “Consistency. If you’re going to be consistently bad, then be consistently bad throughout the whole game. Don’t try to fix it during the game. Don’t try and even out foul calls. If you’re going to be bad, then be bad. Be bad the whole game.”

The Suns acquired Brooks from the Houston Rockets in the summer blockbuster Kevin Durant trade. For most of his first season in Phoenix, Brooks has been a difference-maker, playing at an All-Star level. In addition to providing a defensive edge, Brooks has averaged a career-high 21.2 points, carrying a heavy scoring load while teammate Jalen Green has recovered from a hamstring injury.

Brooks previously has argued that some of his technical fouls have come as a result of his reputation as one of the league’s “villains.” On Jan. 28, the league rescinded a Brooks technical from the previous night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets. It marked the third time this season the league had rescinded a Brooks technical foul.

Per league rules, a player who reaches 16 technical fouls will serve a one-game suspension for every two additional technical fouls the rest of the regular season.