Jaylen Brown responds to ejection, calls out foul-baiting: ‘Let’s just play basketball’

Following his second career ejection, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown remained adamant that his reaction toward officials Tyler Ford and Suyash Mehta was justified.

Brown didn’t believe Mehta had grounds to eject him and felt the NBA’s decision not to fine him was an indication the league, too, believed he was in the right after getting tossed. Brown didn’t speak publicly after Wednesday night’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs, opening up for the first time about the ejection after Thursday night’s 104-102 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“Obviously, I was pissed that I didn’t get to compete in that game,” Brown told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “That was another big-time matchup that I had circled on my calendar. Obviously, playing against the Spurs, (they’re) a good team, and I came out to a great start. Felt great. I felt like I was ready to have a big-time performance. And you know, my night got ended short.

“In certain spots, maybe I could have been a little bit better. But, you know, you’re passionate. It’s a big game. You know, you want to see emotion. You want to see your star players showing that emotion. I don’t think I deserve to get tossed and, you know, I think the NBA agreed because I didn’t get fined or anything like that, so it is what it is. It happens. People make mistakes, but I’m just looking forward now.”

Brown lasted only 14:42 before his much-anticipated battle against Wembanyama was interrupted.

In the second quarter in San Antonio, Brown felt wronged after being pushed out of bounds, leading to a turnover. Officials didn’t catch Stephon Castle’s arm extension, which left Brown off-balance and infuriated by the no-call. He immediately confronted Ford, the crew chief, earning his first technical foul. Moments later, Mehta — from afar — issued a second technical, resulting in an automatic ejection. Teammates, staff, and a security guard had to restrain Brown as he continued to pursue Mehta.

Once the tension eased, Brown returned to Boston’s locker room and immediately posted on X: “This the sh*t I be talking about.”

Brown’s teammates came to his defense, with Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and coach Joe Mazzulla all expressing confusion over Mehta’s decision to eject him on behalf of the crew chief. Boston was left disadvantaged, forced to overcome Wembanyama shorthanded in the second half, amid a three-game road trip including visits with the two best teams in the Western Conference.

It wasn’t the first time Brown had refused to withhold his criticism of the officials. On Jan. 10, when Boston hosted Wembanyama and the Spurs at TD Garden, he ripped the referees for a glaring free-throw discrepancy: the Celtics attempted four shots, while San Antonio took 20. Brown called out what he saw as a clear double standard.

The next day, the NBA fined him $35,000 for his comments.

In Oklahoma City, Brown experienced a rare, favorable whistle. He totaled 14 free-throw attempts — for only the fourth time this season — falling just short of his career high of 16. The difference in the moment felt so pronounced that he briefly thought he had set a new season high.

“I think that might be a record this season,” Brown told reporters.

While Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain’s consecutive 20-point games record, Brown tried to play spoiler with a 34-point performance of his own. Without Tatum, White, and Nikola Vučević he kept Boston competitive in a down-to-the-wire battle with Oklahoma City. In the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, Brown hit a clutch 19-foot turnaround fadeaway to tie the game at 102-102.

Even though Brown drew some favorable calls, he’d prefer nobody rely on them at all.

“I 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. Because there were a couple of plays in the fourth quarter where I feel like I drove strong, went up strong, and I didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. Maybe if I would’ve flopped, maybe I would’ve been able to sell that call — and those decide games.”

Brown added: “We commend players for playing the game the right way, but we give the benefit to those who are trying to manipulate the game to their advantage. I just don’t think it’s basketball. Like, let’s just play basketball. All the foul-baiting — I think it’s whatever for me.”

Boston came away from its three-game road trip still as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, holding a 1 ½-game lead over the New York Knicks. Brown is focusing on what’s ahead for the Celtics, rather than dwelling on his ejection or the league’s foul-baiting epidemic.

“It’s already in the past. It’s over with,” Brown told reporters. “So I just gotta move forward.”