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Donovan Mitchell speaks out after ejection during Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Memphis Grizzlies

'There’s no place for that in the game. You’ve got to protect yourself at the end of the day, but this has been brewing for years.'

CLEVELAND — Thursday night’s battle between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzles took a heated turn as a brief brawl erupted between Donovan Mitchell and Dillon Brooks in the third quarter.

It happened when Brooks was on the floor and tossed his hands back after missing a shot, hitting Mitchell in the groin area.

Mitchell then threw the ball at Brooks and shoved him near the Memphis bench.

Both were ultimately ejected from the game.

“That’s just who he is,” Mitchell said after the game when asked if he felt it was a cheap shot from Brooks. “We’ve seen it a bunch in this league with him. Him and I have had our personal battles for years. Quite frankly, I’ve been busting his *** for years. … There’s no place for that in the game. You’ve got to protect yourself at the end of the day, but this has been brewing for years.”

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After the game, Mitchell was given the Junkyard Dog award in the locker room by coach J.B. Bickerstaff. The team tweeted video of the moment he was given the award, which you can see below:

The team also tweeted three photos with the caption: “Don’t start it, never run from it.”

The Cavs went on to win 128-113, which brings the team's season record to 32-22.

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Editor's note: Video in the player above was originally published in an unrelated story on Feb. 1, 2023.    

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