Another chapter unfolds in the enduring rivalry between the Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics as they clashed once again on Sunday in Miami, resulting in a 110-106 victory for the Celtics.
The intensity of the game escalated in the fourth quarter when Heat forward Duncan Robinson and Celtics counterpart Jaylen Brown found themselves entangled in a heated incident.
As Brown attempted to maneuver for a pass on the right wing, his arms became intertwined with Robinson’s. In a moment of apparent frustration, Brown forcefully pulled his arm forward, causing Robinson to tumble to the ground, clutching his shoulder in pain. Brown was subsequently penalized with a flagrant foul for the action captured in video footage of the incident.
Following the altercation, Duncan Robinson, although seemingly unharmed, confronted Brown before being separated by teammates and officials. Speaking to reporters post-game, Robinson labeled Brown’s move as a “dirty play.”
“I just thought it was a dirty play to be honest with you. That’s how people miss entire seasons. Knock on wood, obviously. But those types of plays, you’ve seen before throughout the history of the NBA. Guys suffer really bad injuries from instances exactly like that. So I thought it was dangerous, unnecessary, excessive.”
Adding to the Heat’s frustrations were the earlier losses of Josh Richardson to a shoulder injury and Terry Rozier to a knee injury during the game, heightening the significance of Brown’s actions, which could have resulted in another player sidelined.
The longstanding history between Miami and Boston, with three of the last four postseasons featuring showdowns between them, underscores the deep-seated rivalry. While the Heat emerged victorious in two of those encounters, the Celtics are now exacting their revenge by sweeping all three games in this season’s series.
Jaylen Brown’s involvement in taunting the Heat during a previous matchup this season further fuels the animosity between the two teams.
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