Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Faults Referees For Excessive Physicality

The Boston Celtics are up 2-1 over the Orlando Magic and are expected to win the series. However, judging by what we’ve seen so far, they won’t come out of this series unscathed. Injuries from Jayson Tatum‘s wrist to Kristaps Porziņģissplit open forehead (which drew blood, much to Joe Mazzulla’s pleasure) are just some of the results from an intensely physical series that may rival the Warriors-Rockets series in terms of the level of physicality in the first round of these playoffs. While physical play makes the game more entertaining and competitive, sometimes it takes away, and that’s where Celtics’ Jaylen Brown has a problem.

Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Faults Referees For Excessive Physicality

Boston Celtics lose Game 3; Jaylen Brown is unhappy with how the series is being officiated

Brown left Game 3 Friday night with a dislocated left index finger after a flagrant foul from Orlando’s Cole Anthony. Jrue Holiday was missing from the game dealing with a hamstring issue, and surprisingly, Tatum ended up playing despite missing Game 2 after a wrist injury he suffered in Game 1. The Celtics won without Tatum but lost Game 3 with him, their first of two matchups on Orlando’s home floor. The series has turned out to be physical, but it’s been too physical from Brown’s perspective. According to Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe, Brown is unhappy with the overt physicality Orlando is handing down and pointed at the officials, accusing them of losing control of the series.

“There might be a fight break out or something because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball and the refs are not controlling their environment,” Brown said. “So it is what it is. If you want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”

I don’t have a problem with the game being physical, but it seems like when I use my physicality, I get called in the opposite direction,” Brown said. “That’s what my frustration was. It was just a tough whistle tonight. Maybe next game will be better, but it started in the third quarter with those two offensive fouls. I feel like the physicality, you are allowing guys to hand check and let it go on both sides then. Other than that, it was just a tough whistle for me tonight and we just got to be ready for Game 4.”

Even minor injuries shouldn’t slow Boston down

Amid some minor bumps, cuts, and bruises, there isn’t any strong reason to believe that Boston has lost their grip on the series. Orlando will continue to make it tough on them. Evidently, the level of physicality they’re playing with is doing the intended job. That said, the Celtics are just too good. Frankly, they’re better than the Magic to lose the series despite Orlando’s physical nature. A dislocated finger or bleeding from the forehead—whatever it might be, don’t expect the Celtics to lose focus any time soon.