Jaylen Brown goes off on refs in fiery postgame rant after Bulls game
12/19/2024 11:40 PM
Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics were outplayed by the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, with Chicago using a potent three-point attack and a strong late-game push to secure a 117-108 victory at TD Garden. However, the game itself became secondary as tensions flared in the closing moments, with the Celtics accumulating three technical fouls in the final minutes.
"You can't threaten a guy with a tech…I think it's bull****," said the Celtics forward.
Jaylen Brown putting the officiating crew on blast
Brown provided a detailed explanation during his post-game press conference.
"Here’s the thing. You get fined. I got fined a couple of weeks ago for inadvertent gestures… But what part of the game is a ref calling an inadvertent technical foul? Isaid to him, ‘You called a tech for no reason.’ He said, ‘If you say it to me again, I’m gonna call another tech.’ ‘You called the tech for no reason.’ Then he called the tech. Like, man, get out of here. You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul. That’s not part of the game, either." said the irate Jaylen Brown.
"You want to fine people for gestures and all this stuff, fine that. This is some b*******. We were down three at the time at the jump ball and that led to us being down eight and that affects the game. That could have been avoided. Joe didn't say anything to deserve a tech," he continued.
Jaylen Brown went off on the refs and the double standard of his fine against the Pistons and the officials' actions tonight:
"You can't threaten a guy with a tech…I think it's bull****." pic.twitter.com/Fh10UTFgFD
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) December 20, 2024
Brown's frustration stemmed from his belief that he should have been the one involved in the jump ball with Ayo Dosunmu. However, referee Justin Van Duyne clarified that it was actually Payton Pritchard who would take part in the jump ball.
A series of unfortunate events for the Celtics
This prompted Brown to voice his dissatisfaction. The play occurred right in front of the Celtics’ bench, which explains why Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was close by and received a technical foul for stepping onto the court, as he explained.
The game took a turn after the controversial technical fouls. Zach LaVine converted both free throws, and following the Bulls’ win on the jump ball, LaVine drilled a three-pointer. What was once a three-point deficit quickly expanded to eight. The Celtics lost their rhythm and never posed a serious challenge to the Bulls for the rest of the quarter.
To make matters worse, Jayson Tatum also received a technical foul with 3:10 remaining, marking the Celtics’ third in just a few minutes. The Celtics struggled defensively in the fourth quarter, allowing 35 points and letting missed shots affect their play, leading to a lot of frustration.
After the game, Mazzulla rushed back onto the court to confront the officials. He had to be restrained by assistants Sam Cassell and Tony Dobbins as he attempted to shout at the referees. The Celtics will aim to rebound as they face the Bulls again at 8 p.m. Saturday, but this time, the game will take place in Chicago.
"So when I tell you, ‘You just called a tech for no reason,’ and you say, ‘If you say it again, I call another tech.’ Then I say it again, and you call a tech. You just threatened your whistle as a threat. Like, that’s not a part of the game either. And I think it’s b*******." Brown concluded.
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