<\/p>\n
Dillon Brooks, who has been feuding with LeBron James, this series, was ejected for hitting The King in the groin during the third quarter of the Lakers\u2019 111-101 Game 3 win over the Grizzlies in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n
The Lakers now hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old Grizzlies guard, who called the 38-year-old James \u201cold\u201d earlier in the series, was given a flagrant 2 foul for the shot and was bounced from the game.<\/p>\n
Who will win it all? Watch the NBA Playoffs and every game of the NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN on Kayo Sports. New to Kayo? Start your free trial now<\/a> ><\/b><\/i><\/p>\n Sun, 23 Apr<\/p>\n Sunday April 23rd<\/p>\n<\/div>\n James, who had 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists, remained in the game and had the last laugh.<\/p>\n Brooks, on the other hand, scored just seven points before he was ejected. Ja Morant, who played a dominant fourth quarter, led the Grizzlies with 45 points.<\/p>\n Before the game, James clapped back at Brooks\u2019 charge that he was past his prime.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not here for the bulls\u2013t,\u201d James said, according to ESPN. \u201cI\u2019m ready to play and that\u2019s it.\u201d<\/p>\n The Grizzlies defeated the Lakers 103-93 in Game 2; James had 28 points but he was 1-8 from 3-point range and the Lakers were outscored by 17 points while he was in the game.<\/p>\n After Memphis\u2019 win on Wednesday, Brooks was blunt in his description of where he thinks James\u2019 game is at now.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t care \u2014 he\u2019s old. You know what I mean?\u201d Brooks asked.<\/p>\n \u201cI was waiting for that. I was expecting him to do that Game 4, Game 5. He wanted to say something when I got my fourth foul. He should have been saying that earlier on. But I poke bears. I don\u2019t respect no one until they come and give me 40.\u201d<\/p>\n Needless to say, but now the rivalry between the two has been amped up after this latest incident.<\/p>\n Meanwhile the Philadelphia 76ers shrugged off the absence of Joel Embiid to complete a 4-0 sweep of the Brooklyn Nets in the NBA playoffs as the Phoenix Suns edged closer to a second round berth with victory over the Los Angeles Clippers.<\/p>\n The Sixers advanced to an Eastern Conference semi-final showdown against either Boston or Atlanta with a dominant second-half display to seal a 96-88 victory in Brooklyn.<\/p>\n The Sixers trailed by 11 points early in the third quarter but transformed the contest with an 18-4 run to take the lead before closing out victory with a fourth-quarter rally.<\/p>\n The Sixers\u2019 win was all the more impressive given the absence of star centre Embiid, who suffered a right knee sprain in Friday\u2019s 102-97 victory in game three.<\/p>\n Embiid led the NBA with 33.1 points a game and is a finalist for the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.<\/p>\n With Embiid out, Paul Reed stepped in to fill the void and finished with 10 points and 15 rebounds.<\/p>\n Tobias Harris led the scoring for Philadelphia with 25 points and 12 rebounds, while De\u2019Anthony Melton came off the bench to produce 15 points and lead the fourth-quarter rally.<\/p>\n Harris said the Sixers had been determined to use Embiid\u2019s absence as a motivator.<\/p>\n \u201cHe\u2019s the MVP. And when we heard he wasn\u2019t playing, I think it was an opportunity for everybody else to really step up and understand that we\u2019ve got to get a win without the big fella,\u201d Harris told the TNT television network after the win.<\/p>\n \u201cFor us to come out here and get this victory, it feels great for the whole group.<\/p>\n \u201cThe whole group came together today. It\u2019s a great win for us and a great way to sweep the series.\u201d <\/p>\n Asked what his message to the injured Embiid would be, Harris replied: \u201cHurry up and get your arse back out here.\u201d <\/p>\n The 4-0 series victory was Philadelphia\u2019s first playoff sweep since 1991. Spencer Dinwiddie led Brooklyn\u2019s scoring with 20 points while Nic Claxton had 19 points with 12 rebounds.<\/p>\n Australian Patty Mills had a rare five minutes off the bench, having largely been left out of the rotation in the latter stages of the season.<\/p>\n Unfortunately for Mills he found himself on the floor twice trying to defend Harden and Maxey.<\/p>\n WESTBROOK EXPLOSION NOT ENOUGH FOR UNDERMANNED CLIPPERS<\/b><\/p>\n In Los Angeles, Kevin Durant finished with 31 points, 11 rebounds and six assists to help Phoenix take a 3-1 series lead over the Clippers with a 112-100 victory.<\/p>\n Devin Booker plundered 30 points and veteran Chris Paul added 19 in a late burst of scoring as Phoenix bagged their second straight win in Los Angeles in the best-of-seven series.<\/p>\n It means the Suns need just one more win to book their place in the Western Conference semi-finals, with game five set for Phoenix on Wednesday.<\/p>\n The Clippers\u2019 hopes of squaring the series had been dealt a blow by the absence of Kawhi Leonard, who joined Paul George on the injured list.<\/p>\n In their absence Russell Westbrook produced one of his best performances for the Clippers with a 37-point display but ultimately it was not enough as the greater depth of the Suns line-up proved too much.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m in a good place and I\u2019m enjoying playing ball,\u201d Durant said after the win. <\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been out a few months this season, and I\u2019m just happy I\u2019m out here where the ball is.\u201d<\/p>\n BUCKS DEALT BLOW BEFORE GAME 3 AGAINST HEAT<\/b><\/p>\n Elsewhere, Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo was ruled out of the third game of the Bucks\u2019 NBA playoff series against the Miami Heat an hour before tip-off.<\/p>\n The two-time NBA Most Valuable Player will miss a second straight game with a lower back contusion, suffered in a bad fall of the opening game of the best-of-seven Eastern Conference first-round series.<\/p>\n Head coach Mike Budenholzer had indicated that Antetokounmpo might be ready to take the floor, but said in his pre-game remarks to reporters that it\u2019s not clear when he will return.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ll continue to monitor him throughout the day (Sunday) and the next day,\u201d Budenholzer said. \u201cIt\u2019s not always a linear thing. He\u2019s not in a position where he can play, so we\u2019re going to continue to monitor and work with him and hope for the best.\u201d <\/p>\n Without Antetokounmpo the Bucks won game two of the series to go into game in Miami level at 1-1.<\/p>\n Antetokounmpo is just one of the high-profile players with injury concerns in the first round of the playoffs.<\/p>\n The Philadelphia 76ers were without another MVP candidate in star centre Embiid but still beat Brooklyn 96-88 to complete their sweep of the Nets.<\/p>\n The Clippers were without Leonard and George in their 112-100 loss to the Phoenix Suns and Memphis\u2019s star point guard Ja Morant was questionable for the Grizzlies\u2019 game against the Los Angeles Lakers but later ruled available to return.<\/p>\n