Tuesday night, the NBA and its audience got robbed. The Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs were squaring off in a nationally televised game that could prove to be a potential Finals preview. At a minimum, it was a battle between two title contenders. And with Jayson Tatum in the lineup, the matchup's marquee players were all available for this prized fight.
Unfortunately, that required amending before the game even reached halftime. A non-call when Jaylen Brown got pushed and wound up out of bounds resulted in a turnover and an irate former Finals MVP.
As crew chief Tyler Ford explained in the pool report post-game, the five-time All-Star's aggressive pointing and use of profanity prompted him to issue a technical.
However, before Brown had proper time to re-center himself, Ford's antagonizing stare, with his chin and bottom lip extended in the Celtics' star's direction, instigated an already upset individual.
The tenth-year wing was willing to go through teammates and team security to continue his conversation with Ford. To the latter's credit, he appeared willing to let Brown vent.
Unfortunately, from the other side of the court, referee Suyash Mehta ejected the former All-NBA Second Team selection.
"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," quipped Joe Mazzulla when discussing his thoughts on the matter after Boston's 125-116 loss to San Antonio.
Brown had seven assists and eight points in 15 minutes before getting tossed. It was a player whose name is in the MVP conversation delivering a stellar balance of scoring and play-making on a national stage against Victor Wembanyama and Co.
Mehta's decision robbed Brown, the Celtics, the NBA, and its audience.
Stephen A. Smith's fiery take on Jaylen Brown's ejection
A day after the Celtics' loss in the "Alamo City," Stephen A. Smith went on First Take and did not hold back when discussing Brown's early exit from Tuesday's tilt.
"This is a very, very big time for Jaylen Brown. National television, nationally televised game, center stage, and it's the first half, and you're going to eject him because he said something, and then he turned away and pointed at the ref? Again, remember, he was pushed. It was a missed call by the official," said Smith before delivering what he accurately labeled the most egregious part of what unfolded.
"Suyash Mehta is an underling. He's not the crew chief, and Tyler Ford missed the call; that was who Jaylen Brown approached. And then the official, Mehta, he comes in and ejects him. Why? It was none of your business. You had nothing to do with the play. It was not your call. And you're not the crew chief."
Smith's diatribe continued. He noted that past officials, such as Joey Crawford and Steve Javie, had the awareness not to remove a marquee player from a nationally televised game between two title contenders. Ford appeared to be cognizant of it as well.
Mehta was trying to do the right thing. However, he should have shared in having that awareness. He should also have realized that it was not his place to levy that second technical on Brown. By doing so, he undermined a great regular-season opportunity for the NBA to showcase its product.