BOSTON — Jaylen Brown was disappointed in himself. It wasn’t because he was ejected from an NBA game for the first time in his career. It wasn’t because he left his carpool buddy, Kristaps Porziņģis, out there in the center’s return from a calf strain.
It’s because when he was tossed from the Boston Celtics’ 133-123 win against the New York Knicks, he didn’t get to vent as much as he wanted. He didn’t get that cathartic release that at least could let him walk away saying it had all been worth it.
Luckily for Brown, he’s famous and the basketball world wants to hear what he has to say. So he took to the podium Friday night and let the world know exactly how he felt.
“I always thought my first career ejection would be something a little more exciting,” Brown said. “Maybe a tussle with some guys, get folded up, go to the ground. Not some over-emotional ref who had a bad day. What I’m most upset about is I should have gotten my f—ing money’s worth.”
WATCH: Jaylen Brown has been ejected vs. Knicks pic.twitter.com/HHU0BaHm7j
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 9, 2023
Well, Brown certainly got it after the game. The official who called both technicals on Brown, Mark Lindsay, said in a pool report that Brown’s first technical was for offensive language, which was clear. But the second technical was for an overt gesture.
As Brown walked to the bench upset, he made a downward swiping gesture in frustration, which prompted the ejection. Then he started waving Lindsay over angrily and had to be held back by teammates, coaches and team security.
“He can’t even hear anything I’m saying, so he calls a tech from across the court,” Brown said. “That for sure has to do with somebody having their emotions too involved in whatever else is going on. And they’re accessing their power with technical fouls.”
Though his commentary was in the plural, Brown wanted to make it clear — maybe to lighten the incoming fine — that this was just about one person.
“I ain’t going to comment on officiating in general, but I am going to comment on this guy in particular tonight,” Brown said. “I thought it was bulls—.”
The broadcast showed the official explaining the situation to Joe Mazzulla shortly after the ejection. The Celtics’ coach cringed before walking away, explaining after the game how it all went down.
“The ref told me that he gave him the first technical because Jaylen said, ‘Don’t call that weak-ass s—.’ So he gave him a tech for that,” Mazzulla said. “I’ve been on the sidelines in the NBA for five years. I’ve seen players act and say things that are way more disrespectful than that.”
But even with Brown getting sent home early for the first time in his career, the Celtics were fine without him. This was the kind of night when he was playing facilitator and tone-setter so everyone else could shine. He was igniting the fast break, making smart reads and playing well within himself.
“There was a point where Jayson (Tatum) didn’t score in the first quarter and Jaylen had taken, like, three shots, and you couldn’t tell because they were doing other stuff,” Mazzulla said. “Those guys are defined by one thing, but in reality that, to me, is success. Because they empowered their teammates, and their teammates took the pressure off of them and they facilitated.”
As if he couldn’t be more empowered than ever, Derrick White was happy to absorb that pressure. All the cool kids are calling D White underrated right now.
We’re at that point with White where the NBA hipsters no longer can claim they’re the only ones who know.
But the last time White took the floor, he said he was horrible. He’s a pretty calm and collected guy, rarely riding the highs and lows of the season. Has he ever criticized one of his teammates? Maybe once in eighth grade, but that’s highly doubtful.
Yet when the Celtics lost to the Indiana Pacers and blew their shot at a Vegas title, White did a full self-own. He was disgusted by the way he played in the second half of that game. To make things worse, his team had to go home and wait the rest of the week to play again. There was no redemption, no way to brush the bitter taste out of his mouth with a bounce-back win.
“Um, I mean, obviously you think about it, especially when you’ve got all this time off, which is rare in the NBA,” White said. “But after a couple days, I moved on. And (I’m) just trying not to have two bad games in a row. And I played a lot better today.”
A lot better. A season-high 30 points. Some tremendous defense chasing around all of the Knicks’ weird, herky-jerky, super-skilled guards. He blocked shots from behind. He blocked shots from in front. The guy just blocks shots.
So by the time White was stepping to the line to ice the game late in the fourth quarter, the fans had decided he wasn’t just underrated. He was the MVP.
“It’s crazy,” White said. “We’ve got the best fans in the league, so I’m always thankful and grateful for them. I know I’m not the MVP, but it’s always cool to hear.”
Maybe the MVP is Porziņģis? He’s certainly the X-factor, and it was obvious from the get-go.
Porziņģis began the game 7-for-7 from the field, with a show of force at the rim to open his return and make it clear he wouldn’t be timid coming back from his calf strain.
He then hit a few spot-up shots, but it wasn’t until late in the second quarter that he and Tatum worked their pick-and-pop game to target the Knicks’ drop coverage.
When Isaiah Hartenstein sank into the paint, he would pick up Tatum and the Knicks would veer the play, sending Tatum’s man onto Porziņģis. The Celtics big would then post up the smaller defender at the nail and shoot over him repeatedly.
“So if they were in drop and we were able to attack downhill, we were able to get pick-and-pops,” Mazzulla said. “And then our veer reads, which are usually later in the shot clock and a little harder for us to recognize, we were able to recognize a little earlier, get to the proper spacing.”
Boston ended up being a plus-10 late in the second quarter thanks to Porziņģis’ scoring on a few cross-matches and Tatum eventually taking some not-terrible heat checks.
“He’s special. A guy that size who can do the things he can do on both sides of the ball, it’s a great weapon to have,” White said. “Obviously, he started the game off knocking down a couple 3s, getting to the paint. He can do literally anything on the basketball court. Having him back out there was huge for us.”
In the end, White and Porziņģis carved the Knicks apart, Jrue Holiday burst open the game with his defensive impact in the third quarter, and the Jays didn’t have to do a ton.
“That is what it’s going to take for us to be great is the balance,” Mazzulla said. “There’s going to be nights where they’re going to have to be amazing, and there’s going to be nights where we got to play like we did tonight. The more we can be connected and trustworthy on that, it’s super important.”
And throughout all this chaos, the Celtics moved to 10-0 at home. With the Denver Nuggets losing to the Houston Rockets in Colorado, the Celtics are the only remaining undefeated team in the NBA. Ime Udoka with one more assist.
Behind all these intricate game plans, attention to detail and sheer hustle, the Celtics continue to march on in the Garden. But the coach is the person who knows the real reason. Right?
“I don’t know,” Mazzulla said. “I honestly don’t. I couldn’t tell you. I have no idea. Not even going to try to make it up.”
(Photo of Derrick White: Eric Canha / USA Today)
Jaylen Brown’s ejection, Derrick White’s MVP night highlight Kristaps Porziņģis’ return - The Athletic
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