Jaylen Brown received his first career ejection in the Celtics win over the Knicks on Friday night in controversial fashion at TD Garden. The All-Star forward received back-to-back technical fouls with 7:19 remaining in the fourth quarter, leading to an angry Brown having to be held back by players and teammates before he ultimately walked off the floor towards the locker room.
In a pool report after Friday’s win, official Mark Lindsay explained what led to Brown’s technical fouls in quick succession and ultimately his ejection.
“The first technical foul was called for use of profanity toward a game official,” Lindsay said.
Joe Mazzulla tried to downplay those comments from Brown after the win.
“The ref told me that he gave him the first technical because Jaylen said, ‘Don’t call that weak-ass ****,’” Mazzulla said. “So he gave him a tech for that. I’ve been on the sidelines in the NBA for five years. I’ve seen players act and say things that are way more disrespectful than that.”
Mazzulla took Brown out of the game after the first technical foul since Brown had accumulated his 5th personal foul. However, on his way to the bench, Brown was ultimately whistled for a technical foul for a simple hand gesture according to Lindsey.
The second technical foul was called for a wave off directed at the official which under the respect of the game guidelines is considered an overt gesture and an unsportsmanlike act.”
Brown had an emotional response after the game when talking about how he viewed the sequence during the Celtics’ 133-123 win.
“After he called the first tech I wasn’t even talking to him,” Brown said. “So I was talking to the other ref trying to explain my case. You can tell his emotions were involved and x, y, z, wanted to make it a back-and-forth. I’m explaining to the ref and he calls a second tech from the other side of the court, which is a clear example of somebody exercising their power to try to get somebody thrown out the game. I thought it was bull****. It is what it is. We got the win.”
Brown finished with 17 points in 27 minutes before his ejection. He will be back in action with Boston on Tuesday night against the Cavaliers at TD Garden.
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