Jaylen Brown furious: “Unacceptable officiating mistake”
Jaylen Brown’s anger exploded after the game: for the Celtics star, the referees’ mistake in the final seconds against Utah was both unacceptable and decisive in Boston’s loss
It was a bitter night for the Celtics, beaten 105–103 by the Utah Jazz in a game decided by a controversial late incident. What sparked debate was a no-call that, according to Jaylen Brown, changed the outcome.
With less than a minute left, the Celtics were up by one and Brown had the ball in his hands. Everything seemed under control – until disaster struck. Keyonte George slipped, Brown tripped over his body, and lost possession.
Utah took advantage immediately: Walter Clayton Jr. threw up the alley-oop, and Lauri Markkanen finished it with a tap-in that silenced the Garden and flipped the score to 103–102.
You can’t miss a call like that at that point in the game. Less than a minute left, and the entire officiating crew misses such an obvious call. It’s unacceptable… That’s bullshit. It cost us the game
Jaylen Brown
Crew chief Kevin Scott defended the officials’ decision in the postgame report:
During the play, we saw George slip and fall before Brown lost his balance in the same spot. The ball had already become loose prior to any contact
Kevin Scott
Boston still had a chance to regain the lead: Neemias Queta tied the game from the free throw line, but Jusuf Nurkic hit the game-winning hook shot with one second remaining. Brown finished with 36 points in 37 minutes, but the frustration lingered.
With this loss, the Celtics drop to a disappointing 3–5 on the season – and the debate over officiating standards is once again heating up.