Khaman Maluach had pushed Green to the ground in the paint, and the Golden State star jumped up from beneath and wrapped his arms around the Suns centre and threw him to the floor. Brooks immediately sprinted in to enter the fray and approached Green, and they pushed and shoved. Green put his hand on Brooks’ neck, and both received technicals.

“I was just trying to de-escalate the whole thing,” Brooks said after the game.

“You weren’t trying to de-escalate,” Green said on his podcast Thursday. “You were trying to be the villain. But then don’t go to the media like, ‘I was de-escalating.’ Like, that’s wack, and that type of energy will not ever be respected.”

Both Green and Brooks are known agitators around the league.

Tuesday’s ejection was Green’s first this season and the 23rd of his career. He also has 182 career technical fouls, including three this season.

Brooks has been ejected nine times in his career, most recently last week, when he kicked fellow Canadian Jamal Murray in the groin.

— with files from The Associated Press