Jaylen Brown is set to return for the Celtics‘ matchup with the Heat on Thursday after missing Monday’s loss in Indiana due to back spasms, Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel notes (Twitter link). The Celtics have lost two consecutive games after winning nine of their previous 11 contests.
Brown believes that the Celtics have not been getting the whistle they should from the referees, Jay King writes in an article for The Athletic. He was fined $35K earlier in the week for criticizing the officiating after a game against the Spurs, which he expected.
“I think something had to be said,” Brown said. “As a team, we get to the free-throw line the least in the league. So just protecting our guys and myself. I think that we deserve a little bit of more respect.”
King points out that the Celtics are the only team in the league averaging fewer than 20 free throw attempts per game, and that Brown is 15th in attempts, despite driving more than anyone in the league other than Deni Avdija and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who both rank in the top four in free throw attempts.
Brown says he’s studied what referees look for and doesn’t believe that the whistle he and the team receive is consistent with the calls other teams get.
“They just pick and choose who they like to call it on. That’s the part that pisses me off,” Brown said. “It should just be everybody should just get reffed evenly and consistently, but it just seems like there’s an agenda where some guys they choose to call certain fouls for, some guys they don’t. So I don’t know what goes into that decision-making, but it’s kind of clear that certain guys on certain teams, certain markets or certain profiles get preferential treatment versus others when it should just be basketball.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla agreed with his star player’s assessment, though he cautioned against getting too caught up in it.
“We can’t put ourselves in a situation where other people are allowed to control the outcome of the game,” Mazzulla said. “So we have to get better.”
We have more from around the Atlantic Division:
- Joel Embiid is the healthiest he’s been in two years, Tony Jones writes for The Athletic. His body responding the way he wants it to has helped bring him a newfound sense of joy to the Sixers. “I can’t sit here and say that I thought this would happen again. I was skeptical that I would have a chance of being this consistent,” Embiid said. “That’s why I’m kind of emotional about it. I think there were a lot of people that thought this would never be possible again. So, I’m happy that I’m getting the chance to play again and be consistent again. I just want to keep playing, and keep trying to get better every single night.” Embiid isn’t as explosive as he once was, as evidenced by his recording his first dunk of the season in a recent win over the Knicks, but he has been able to play with fluidity and intention, Jones writes. “What we love is that he looks happy,” said teammate Tyrese Maxey. “We want him to be happy, more than anything. And he looks healthy. I think the thing that I’m most proud of is that he’s staying on top of his treatment. He’s staying on top of getting ice and seeing the training staff. Just seeing him healthy, that is the stuff that really matters.”
- Kyle Lowry got to experience a special moment at the end of the Sixers‘ win against the Raptors on Monday, writes Ian Harrison of The Associated Press. With just under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter and the road crowd chanting his name, Lowry was inserted into the game and was greeted with an enthusiastic standing ovation. The game marked what could be the point guard’s last appearance in Toronto, six-and-a-half years after he helped bring the city its lone NBA championship. “I got an opportunity to experience probably one of the greatest basketball moments of my personal career,” Lowry said after the game. Coach Nick Nurse heard the crowd chanting, “We want Lowry,” and gave them what they wanted. “I thought they didn’t think I was really going to do it, but I was planning on it there and got a good moment to do it,” Nurse said. “It was nice to be able to kind of bring him in on his own there.” Lowry emphasized after the game that his retirement plan still involves signing a one-day contract with the Raptors to retire with the team he spent nine seasons playing for.
- Jamal Shead has been one of the standout performers for the Raptors this season, Eric Koreen writes in his midseason report card for The Athletic (subscriber link). Shead is one of two players, along with Scottie Barnes, whom Koreen awards an A grade, writing that the guard’s defense and ability to get downhill have earned him coach Darko Rajakovic‘s trust late in games. Koreen also notes that in Shead’s clutch-time minutes, the Raptors outscore their opponents by 26.2 points per 100 possessions.
Lmfao, there goes any argument far as Brown/Boston v Silvers instructions. Written in black and white as they used to say. But Boston shoot 3’s, lol. If the two J’s played for those razzle dazzle clowns in tinsel town they’d have three rings by now. Last thing the league wants is Boston getting a decent lottery pick and they most definitely won’t let them win. NBA manipulation at its best. Which bottom four team is getting robbed out of a no.1 pick next draft?
Boston shoots about 50 3s a game, of course they take less free throws. It’s not rocket surgery…
Did you read above? Apparently not. Two guys in the league who drive more than JB. Do you mean brain surgeon or rocket scientist? Rocket surgery is a little new to me.
50? Keep up. Celts have shot 37, 44, 28 and 38 three point shots in last four games. Our opponents shot more 3s in three of those games and in the other we tied 44 with the Nuggets.
Maxey’s comments make it sound like Embiid wasn’t participating well with the staff for his recovery process up until recently.
Brown finally got the chance to be the man and he’s showing out so far, but by god he loves to whine.
As he should.
Brown only missed one game, not two. He played in the game they lost to San Antonio as was mentioned numerous times in this article,
Sure, Brown isn’t getting a bunch of calls in the paint, but for a team as a whole, they don’t enter the paint enough to expect as many calls as other teams do.
Separate of that, could Brown and Mazzulla whine anymore than they do now?
Because the Celts as a team don’t drive … you state … maybe … and that means Brown should not get calls although he drives the 3rd most in the league? What?
I didn’t say Brown shouldn’t get more calls, he should. What I said is that the C’s as a whole complaining about calls when they spend most of their time at the 3PT line is ridiculous.
Have you watched Boston? Pritchard always getting in the paint. As does White and all of Quetas’ shots are in the paint, lols.
As a Knicks fan, I see the C’s more than most other teams. They are #2 in 3PT attempts this year, trailing only GSW (also closer to the bottom in FT attempts this year.