Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) react after a call in the third quarter against the Golden State Warriors during game two of the 2022 NBA Finals at Chase Center. Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Game 5 referee assignments could be bad news for Celtics

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports
By Darryn Albert | Last updated 6/13/22

The Boston Celtics might not be too happy about the news that they woke up to on Monday morning.

The NBA announced the referee assignments for Game 5 of the NBA Finals later that evening. Marc Davis was tabbed as the crew chief while Tony Brothers and Josh Tiven rounded out the rotation.

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— (@OnBallSteph) June 13, 2022

Many Celtics fans were especially upset to see Brothers in the crew for the pivotal game. According to BetMGM, Boston has a record of 3-12 in playoff games that Brothers has officiated since 2015. The Celtics are also just 4-11 against the spread in Brothers-officiated playoff contests over that span as well (the Warriors are currently 3.5-point home favorites for Game 5).

Both Brothers and Tiven were on the job for Game 2 of the Finals, which Golden State won 107-88. On the bright side for the Celtics, the Game 5 crew chief Davis worked Game 1, which Boston won 120-108.

The 27-year vet Brothers is already one of the NBA’s most notorious refs, embroiling himself in controversy even as recently as a couple months ago. But when it comes to the Celtics, Brothers has some even greater infamy.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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