Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown expressed frustration with NBA officiating following his ejection in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs. He argued that the league rewards players who accentuate contact to draw fouls. Brown suggested he might need to adopt such tactics himself to gain favorable calls.
Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics was ejected during his team's 125-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. The incident occurred with 3:42 remaining in the first half, when Brown received two technical fouls for yelling at officials after they failed to call a foul on a play where he lost the ball out of bounds.
Brown finished the game with eight points on 4-for-8 shooting and seven assists in just 15 minutes. Speaking to reporters after Boston's subsequent 104-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday—his first media availability since the ejection—he voiced his disappointment. "I felt like I was ready to have a big-time performance, and my night got cut short," Brown said, via ESPN. He added that he was "pissed" about missing more playing time in a matchup he had anticipated.
The NBA did not fine Brown for the ejection, which he interpreted as agreement that it was unwarranted. "I don't think I deserve to get tossed," he stated. Brown used the moment to critique what he called "foul baiting," where players exaggerate contact to influence referees.
"I just don't foul bait," Brown told reporters. "I'm not looking to flop or anything like that, but it's almost like you got to." He referenced drives in the fourth quarter against the Thunder where stronger calls might have come if he had sold the contact more dramatically. "We commend players for playing the game the right way, but we give the benefit to those who necessarily are trying to manipulate the game into their advantage," he said. "I think that's the part where it's like, all right, come on."
Against the Thunder, Brown attempted 14 free throws, nearing his season high. He has a career-high 32.5% free-throw rate this season, despite taking fewer shots at the rim. As a team, the Celtics rank last in the league in free-throw rate, influenced by their shot selection favoring midrange and above-the-break threes.
