The Boston Celtics were at the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night for a must-see NBA game.  The Spurs came out with a 125-116 victory in the end in the battle of the No. 2 seeds from each conference. However, Victor Wembanyama’s 39 points and 11 rebounds were hardly the main talking point from the game. 

The Celtics were grinding out a slim 51-49 lead in the second quarter with just over three minutes left when Jaylen Brown was ejected. 

Brown, who has been Boston’s best player this season and an MVP candidate, was bumped by second-year Spurs guard Stephon Castle, causing the Celtics star to stumble out of bounds. He let the officials know his frustration, but what he got instead was two technical fouls in a matter of seconds and was ejected. 

The momentum flipped for Boston and the Spurs took control for the rest of the game.

Brown had to be restrained by his teammates after a foul was not called. He pointed and used some choice words about what he genuinely felt and kept pleading his case as he headed downcourt. His night was over after playing just 13 minutes with eight points to show for it. 

The aftermath reaction was in full gear, with many calling out the controversial call on a game of that magnitude. 

NBA Officials Must Be Held Accountable

If it were any other player, it could be justified. But players like Brown are the center stage of big matchups like these. Having that taken away when the game is evenly poised is just bad for business. 

The crew chief, Tyler Ford, defended his decision, saying that Brown issued “profanities” while aggressively pointing and resenting the call. The second tech was issued by referee Suyash Mehta for a similar offense.  

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Just recently, LeBron James called out the inconsistencies in officials when one call on a foul is made today and the same is ignored on another night. 

Now this latest controversy peels back the curtain on what NBA commissioner Adam Silver is trying to sell with the league to a global audience. He hasn’t felt like refereeing decisions have been chirping away at the game. With Jayson Tatum still in his “getting back to shape” form, everyone tuned in to watch Brown and Wembanyama, two MVP candidates, but what the audience got was one being ejected before halftime.

Sure enough, Brown let his emotions get the better of him, and whether or not his actions warranted an ejection is a debate for another day. However, officials must apply a higher bar for ejection in high-stakes, primetime games. 

Such restraints should not come across as “favoritism,” but as smart business that protects the product. Fans didn’t buy tickets or pay a subscription on streaming platforms to watch a Celtics game without Brown. 

This was the 28-year-old’s only second career ejection, which means he is not a regular offender. He had already been fined $35,000 in January for criticizing officials, which is ironic when they do exactly what he criticizes. 

But ejection was off the line considering that stars like Luka Doncic have racked up 15 techs already this season without an ejection. Ejections for “aggressively pointing” are rare. 

Brown got the harshest of decisions in the heat of the moment and his exit meant that Boston lost its leading scorer and closer. As such, that single call swung the momentum, which may not be too damaging now as both teams are locked for a playoff spot. 

However, such calls will tarnish the image of the league if it happens during the postseason, but if the officials let it slide, then the inconsistency talk is valid once more.