Jaylen Brown Addresses Flopping in NBA, References Joel Embiid

Brown’s initial comments stemmed from his opinion that the Sixers big man, using his physicality, drew contact, earning fouls that led to him being granted free throws. Brown stated that he thought the referees were “rewarding” Embiid for such calls.

Brown can’t place all the blame on Embiid, though.

The Celtics attempted just 16 free throws through four quarters, and Brown attempted six of them. Embiid alone had 11 free throws by himself as the Sixers totaled 23 free throws. 

Embiid wasn’t the only Sixers player to consistently find gaps in the Celtics’ defense. Tyrese Maxey added 30 points along with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. 

However, in addition to missing Jayson Tatum, the Celtics’ poor shooting also contributed to their loss. They shot just 40% from the field [Sixers shot 48%] and 27% from the 3-point line [Sixers shot 39%]. 

Jaylen Brown points to Joel Embiid problem in Celtics Game 7 loss

With Jayson Tatum sidelined by a foot injury from Game 6, Embiid took full advantage of the shorthanded Celtics lineup to clinch the series.

The Sixers’ big man scored a game-high 34 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and a block. He made 12 of 26 shots from the field, including 1 of 4 from beyond the arc.

After the game, Brown highlighted the Celtics’ defensive shortcomings against Embiid’s physical game. 

“Embiid put a lot of pressure on us, on all our bigs and our guards. We didn’t really have an answer for him,” he told reporters on Saturday. 

While Brown gave Embiid his flowers, he also accused the former MVP of flopping.

“We tried a bunch of different things. He’s a big body. He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls, and they rewarded him for that, but that’s the league we’re in.”

The Sixers will now face the New York Knicks in the second round.