Tuesday night's tilt between the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs was a battle between two teams with a chance to see each other again in June. It lived up to that hype. Unfortunately, it had to overcome the loss of one of the matchup's marquee figures, Jaylen Brown.
The five-time All-Star got ejected with 3:38 left in the first half. It started with him having the ball in his hands and getting pushed out of bounds by Spurs guard Stephon Castle. Only the referees chose not to call a foul. The former fourth-overall pick undeniably put his hand on Brown's lower back right before the latter lost his balance and stumbled out of bounds.
Given the former All-NBA Second Team selection's frustration with the officiating at times this season, including in the previous meeting between Boston and San Antonio, one can understand the compounding effect that was in play when referee Tyler Ford chose to ignore that contact.
As Ford explained in the pool report after the game, Brown's use of profanity and aggressive pointing in response to the lack of a foul call on Castle is why he then assessed a technical.
From Derrick White to Jayson Tatum, those from the visitors who spoke post-game acknowledged that it was a fair response by Ford.
"He definitely got pushed, and [the] first tech was probably warranted, the emotions were high," said Tatum after Boston's 125-116 loss in the "Alamo City."
However, the second technical -- and who delivered it -- changed the complexion of a potential Finals preview, robbing the NBA and its audience of a nationally televised affair where all the stars involved were participating.
The Celtics' response to Jaylen Brown's ejection
There must be room for Brown to express his emotions before re-centering himself after receiving that first technical. Obviously, that doesn't mean he can say or do whatever he wants, but there needs to be some leeway and understanding of the situation on the part of the officials.
Before the former Finals MVP had a fair chance to calm down, Ford stared at him, extending his chin and his bottom lip. It was an instigating expression; one this crew chief has a history of making. It's an antagonizing gesture.
Naturally, that added fuel to the flames.
Brown subsequently was willing to go through teammates and team security to continue expressing his frustration with Ford. To the latter's credit, he appeared willing to let the tenth-year wing vent. That's when Suyash Mehta got involved.
Despite Brown talking to Ford, the crew chief, and Mehta observing these developments from the other side of the court, he took it upon himself to deliver a second technical and toss the Celtics' star from the game. That was an overstep, and it wasn't his place to do so.
When asked about it after the loss, in classic, sharp-witted Joe Mazzulla fashion, he responded, "Just give a ton of credit to my high school principal. He had the balls to throw a student out. He didn't leave it to the hall monitor."
"I disagree with it. The NBA makes a big deal about prime-time games and stars playing and being available," conveyed Tatum. "National TV game, two of the best teams in the league, and you make a big deal about stars playing, then you [get] trigger-happy and throw somebody out [of] the game, I disagree with it."
Before his ejection, Brown was delivering a stellar performance. He had already dished out seven assists in 15 minutes. He also put eight points on the board on 4/8 shooting.
For an individual whose name is in the MVP conversation, it was a national stage and a marquee matchup that he was quickly capitalizing on. He isn't blameless, but regarding that second technical, his opportunity got pulled out from under him by an official who had no business making that decision.
The NBA probably doesn't side entirely with anyone involved in this matter. However, they want their stars available, especially in a spotlight like Tuesday's. While Mehta was trying to do the right thing, for the league, its fans, Brown, and the Celtics, that wasn't the outcome.