Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks received six stitches above his eye after taking an elbow to the face during Friday’s practice, he told reporters Saturday.
Brooks declined to answer when asked who the collision was with.
Suns head coach Jordan Ott told reporters after Friday’s practice that Brooks’ injury had occurred on a “freak play,” per Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic.
“They were in the middle, I guess, the last part of practice, he just got split open, I think, right along the eyebrow… He was defending a little too close and he got clipped,” Ott said Friday, per Rankin.
Ott had been prompted by Brooks to tell reporters “how hard we play defense” ahead of those comments.
Brooks arrived in Phoenix as part of the Suns’ return for trading Kevin Durant to the Houston Rockets in July.
Suns general manager Brian Gregory said in September he saw Brooks as a player “who brings that edge, who brings that toughness, that competitiveness” (h/t Rankin).
Brooks, who ranked second only to the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards with 16 technical fouls last season, has quickly embraced resuming his former “villain” role with his new team.
He told reporters in September that he had even identified a “villain jr.” on the Suns, whom he revealed Saturday to be Collin Gillespie.
Gillespie talked with reporters Friday about what he perceived to be the “switch” between Brooks’ villain persona and his off-court identity.
The Suns are preparing to begin the regular season on Wednesday night against the visiting Sacramento Kings.
Phoenix will hope Brooks is not limited by his injury when the season opener tips off at 10 p.m. ET. His presence will be even more important now that starting guard Jalen Green has been sidelined by a hamstring injury.
