The Boston Celtics came away with a decisive 119-109 victory over the top-ranked Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. With Jaylen Brown delivering another MVP-caliber performance alongside some key contributions by Jayson Tatum (19 PTS, 12 REB, 7 AST) and Payton Pritchard (14 PTS, 4-6 3PT), the Celtics outlasted the Thunder, improving to 48-24 on the season.
The Thunder’s defensive approach makes them a difficult team to beat. While players such as Lu Dort have gotten away with “dirty” plays in the past, Jaylen Brown pointed out a foul by Dort while reviewing the game footage on his live stream. Upon witnessing the play again, Brown reacted:
“Damn. They weren’t even about to call this, too. Bro smacked me upside the head. I’m tight. Look at this. Bro smacked me upside the head like I’m one of his grandkids or something. They [the officials] weren’t even about to call it.”
Jaylen Brown is sick of Lu Dort fouling 💀
“Bro smacked me upside the head like I’m one of his grandkids”pic.twitter.com/SGAyo0LcQ7
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) March 27, 2026
Jaylen Brown was referring to a play early in the third quarter of Wednesday night’s game. In the process of splitting the defense and driving to the basket for a layup, Brown was struck across the side of his head by Lu Dort, who was covering the strong side.
Although Dort was eventually called for the foul, Brown noted that the officials seemed hesitant to blow the whistle. With the Celtics superstar having to fall to the floor to sell the call, it is apparent that the OKC forward receives considerable leeway on the defensive end.
Dort’s antics aren’t being called out for the first time. Earlier in the month, Dort got involved in an altercation with Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic for tripping him intentionally. In the following game, despite the warning, Dort doubled down, elbowing Jokic in the face while coming off a screen.
While Jaylen Brown is known to be critical of officials, typically for the lack of favorable calls he receives, regarding Dort, he may receive more support. With many viewing Dort as one of the dirtiest players in the league, the Thunder forward has developed a bad reputation.
Still, Wednesday night’s performance saw Jaylen Brown rise above these challenges. With the game taking place at the TD Garden, Brown and the Celtics found themselves enjoying favorable conditions.
Brown’s comments regarding Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s foul-baiting also came to mind during this game. Although the Thunder superstar posted 33 points, two rebounds, and eight assists, and went 10-12 from the charity stripe, Brown got the last laugh.
Apart from earning 14 trips to the free-throw line (12-14 FT), Brown also successfully baited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into committing a shooting foul. Having converted the and-1 opportunity, Jaylen Brown made sure that the Thunder superstar received a taste of his own medicine.
This win is a monumental one for the Celtics for several reasons. Having beaten the best in the West, the Celtics strengthen their case as a true title contender. Now, with Brown also overshadowing Gilgeous-Alexander, the MVP race also seems to be getting more heated.
