Jayson Tatum didn't hold back after the Boston Celtics' tough loss to the San Antonio Spurs at the Frost Bank Center. The Celtics' star was vocal about his dissatisfaction with a second-quarter incident that saw his teammate, Jaylen Brown, ejected after receiving two quick technical fouls. Tatum addressed the situation in a postgame interview, highlighting the inconsistency in officiating during prime-time games.
He expressed his frustration, saying, "The NBA makes a big deal about prime-time games and stars playing and being available." Tatum emphasized the importance of having star players on the court for national TV games, especially when two top teams are facing off. Yet, he pointed out, "then you get trigger-happy and throw somebody out of the game, I disagree with it."
The controversy began with a non-call late in the first half. Brown felt he was pushed out of bounds by Spurs rookie Stephon Castle, but no whistle was blown.
The situation escalated when Crew Chief Tyler Ford issued the first technical for Brown's aggressive gestures and language. Although Ford seemed to allow Brown to express his frustration, referee Suyash Mehta stepped in and handed out the second technical, leading to Brown's ejection.
At that point, Brown had contributed 8 points and 7 assists in just 15 minutes, and the Celtics were up by two. However, without their primary playmaker, they struggled and eventually lost the game.
This ejection is just the latest in a series of tensions between the Celtics and NBA officials. Brown had previously been fined $35,000 in January for criticizing the refs after another loss to the Spurs.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla also criticized the officiating, drawing a comparison to his high school principal who, he implied, knew when to take charge and when to let others handle situations. Mazzulla's comments were a clear jab at Mehta, suggesting that the secondary official overstepped his bounds.
Meanwhile, the Spurs capitalized on the Celtics' depleted lineup. Victor Wembanyama was unstoppable, scoring 39 points and hitting a career-high eight 3-pointers, leading San Antonio to its 16th win in 17 games and a season sweep of the Celtics.