Thursday night’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder resulted in a close 104-102 victory for the Thunder. Meanwhile, with their second consecutive loss, Jaylen Brown and the Celtics fell to 43-23 on the season.
The matchup was poised to be a showdown between MVP candidates, as Jaylen Brown went head-to-head with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Although Gilgeous-Alexander had the last laugh, it was apparent that Brown wasn’t too content with the manner of victory, as he sneakily called out the Thunder superstar during his postgame interview.
“I don’t foul bait. I’m not looking to flop or anything like that. But it’s almost like you’ve got to,” Brown joked. “There were a couple of plays in the fourth quarter where I drove strong, went up strong, and I didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. But maybe if I would’ve flopped, I would’ve been able to sell that call, and those decide games.”
“It’s like we commend players for playing the game the right way, but we give the benefit to those who try 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.”
Although Jaylen Brown doesn’t call out Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by name, certain cues make it abundantly clear that his comments were directed at the Thunder superstar.
Brown’s frustration with guarding Gilgeous-Alexander was apparent. On one particular play in the third quarter, after the Thunder guard was awarded two free throws, the Celtics superstar could be heard complaining.
“That’s not basketball,” Brown shouted.
Jaylen Brown on the foul call for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
“That’s not basketball”
(h/t @TheNBABase)pic.twitter.com/B23hjFIlwZ
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 13, 2026
Jaylen Brown has been vocal about his thoughts on officiating, especially after being ejected from Tuesday’s game against the Spurs. However, when it comes to foul-baiting, Brown has admitted that flopping may be the only way forward.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been routinely criticized for foul-baiting this season. Although he is one of the best offensive players in the league, averaging 31.8 points per game (2nd in the NBA), his averages of 9.2 free throws attempted (second in the NBA) and 8.2 free throws made per game (1st in the NBA) reveal how frequently he visits the charity stripe.
On Thursday night, Gilgeous-Alexander broke Wilt Chamberlain’s 63-year-old streak by posting 35 points, six rebounds, and nine assists. While his 13-18 shooting from the field was impressive in every aspect, his 7-8 shooting from the free-throw line raised some eyebrows.
In comparison, Jaylen Brown posted 34 points, six rebounds, and seven assists on a solid 10-25 from the field. However, in light of his remarks, Brown’s 13-14 shooting from the free-throw line seems quite jarring.
Given that Brown only averages 7.0 free throws attempted (12th in the NBA) and 5.6 free throws made per game (18th in the NBA), this game could be considered an outlier. Still, given how pointed his comments were, they may be misplaced while factoring in the context of Thursday’s game.
