Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown hasn’t been happy with the officiating all season, and he was fuming after the 100-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at TD Garden on Saturday. Brown never went to the line against the Spurs, while the Celtics only attempted four free throws as a team, and he went off on the officials postgame.
“I’ll accept the fine at this point,” Brown said, via Justin Turpin.”I thought it was some bulls*** tonight. I think they’re a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good. I hope somebody can just pull up the clips, because it’s the same s*** every time we play a good team. It’s like they refuse to make a call, then call touch fouls on the other end, and that’s just extremely frustrating, bro.
“We play hard,” Brown stated. “… We compete hard on the defensive end, and they reward the other team with touch fouls. We go down there, and guys are allowed to get away with… Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy. I’ll take the f***ing fine. Curtis [Blair], all them dudes, was terrible tonight. I don’t care. They can fine me whatever they want. It’s crazy.
“Every time we play a good team, it’s the same bulls***,” Brown continued. “… I’m irate at how they officiated the game today. If we can’t get to the free throw line and teams are allowed to be physical and bump us off our spots, etc, then it’s hard to win games like that. We shot four free throws tonight and lost the game by four. Not to say that’s the whole game, the whole story.
“We got to be better in spots,” Brown added. “I gotta be better in spots, but God damn. I’m driving to the basket, I’m physical, I don’t flop, and I don’t shy away from contact. Go up strong, I’m athletic, and nothing. Zero free throws tonight. The inconsistency is f***ing crazy. Give me the fine.”
A fine is definitely coming Brown’s way for calling out the officiating crew of Curtis Blair, Nick Buchert, and Jason Goldenberg. To give some context here, though, the Celtics’ four free throw attempts were tied for the second-fewest in a game in franchise history. It was a historic night, just for the wrong reasons.
The Celtics are averaging 18.9 free throw attempts per game this season, the lowest in the NBA. No other team is even below 20.
Brown leads the way for the Celtics with an average of 7.2 free throw attempts per game, but he hasn’t gone to the line a lot lately. The 29-year-old only shot two free throws against the Chicago Bulls on Monday and three against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. Brown voiced his frustration with the officials in his press conference after that Nuggets game.
“I mean, they were physical,” Brown said. “They got away with a lot. The refs allowed them to get away with a lot. I would have loved to get to the free-throw line a little bit more. I was physical, I was aggressive, I went up strong. I didn’t flop, but I kind of let the officiating get to my head a little bit.”
Brown did get more calls during Friday’s 125-117 win over the Toronto Raptors. He shot 13 free throws that night, but he had no such luck against the Spurs.
Brown finished with 27 points (11-28 FG), eight rebounds, and seven assists here as the Celtics dropped to 24-14. They’ll take on the Indiana Pacers next at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday at 7:30 PM ET.
