Jaylen Brown said that 76ers fans told him they hoped he would ‘tear your ACL’ during Saturday’s Celtics’ win
"I started talking to one of the fans, but it got a little excessive, a little disrespectful, and stuff like that."
The Celtics-76ers rivalry has been one of the most fierce rivalries in NBA history, with dozens of intense matchups between the two teams spanning several decades.
Saturday’s Celtics-76ers game may have been a little bit too intense, though. Celtics star Jaylen Brown said he had some back-and-forths with 76ers fans at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia prior to the game and throughout the action. He claimed that at least one 76ers fan might have crossed the line at one point.
“I started talking to one of the fans, but it got a little excessive, a little disrespectful, and stuff like that,” Brown told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin. “Even before the game, I was entering the arena, and people were saying, ‘I hope you tear your ACL.’ I understand people care, and they love the team they cheer for, but I think it gets a little excessive at times.”
During the game, at least four 76ers fans sitting near the Celtics’ bench were kicked out, according to reporters in the arena.
Brown and the Celtics battled through the adversity though and came out victorious. Jayson Tatum drained a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds left to give the Celtics a 110-107 win.
While Tatum’s game-winning shot was just one of seven that he made on the evening (he went 7-for-17 from the field), the Celtics’ other All-Star was making his shots all night long. Brown shot 10-for-21 from the field and went 4-for-5 from the free-throw line to give him 26 points on the night. He also had four rebounds, three assists, and three steals in the win.
Saturday’s win separated the Celtics a bit more from the 76ers in the standings, giving them a four-game lead over them in the standings as Boston still holds the top spot in the Eastern Conference and Philadelphia sits in third.
It also added another exciting chapter to the league’s most-played rivalry and gave the Celtics a 3-0 advantage in the matchups between the two teams this season. With just one more matchup left, Saturday’s win gave the Celtics the tiebreaker advantage over the 76ers in the event the two teams finish the regular season with the same record.
Yet, Brown said it was “not really” any sweeter to win in Philadelphia, but was just happy to get the win.
“I just look at it as each and every game you take with a grain of salt,” Brown said. “I’m sure we will see them down the line, so we just be ready when it’s time to go. It’s fun playing here. The crowd was a little bit hostile. In moments, there were people on the side was talking crazy, etc. We persevered, made some plays, and got the win.”
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