Miami’s Duncan Robinson blasts Jaylen Brown for ‘dirty play’ that led to flagrant foul
Brown and Robinson got into a heated exchange after the play.
MIAMI, Fla. — Jaylen Brown was whistled for a Flagrant 1 foul with 7:54 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 110-106 win against Miami on Sunday.
Derrick White passed the ball in Brown’s direction near the 3-point line in the corner. Brown got tangled up with Robinson as the ball bounced out of bounds. Brown swung his arm forward, sending Robinson crashing to the ground.
“I think there was no issue for me,” Brown said after the game. “I think he knew exactly what he was trying to do, trying to get tangled up, et cetera because he didn’t want to play defense. We called the foul, but he was still trying to hang on so I was trying to get my arm free.”
Robinson called the play “unnecessary, excessive, and dangerous.”
“I just thought it was a dirty play, to be honest with you,” Robinson said. “That’s how people miss entire seasons, knock on wood obviously, but those types of plays we’ve seen before throughout the history of the NBA. Guys suffer really bad injuries from instances exactly like that.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he didn’t see the play, but officials explained to him that Brown committed a hostile act which led to the flagrant foul being called.
Mazzulla said he saw the exchange that Robinson and Brown had after the play, and that he liked how Brown handled himself.
“We want to play within the rules and you don’t want to cost yourself opportunities, but there is something to that,” Mazzulla said. “Absolutely. We need to have a certain level of friction in moments. There needs to be passion. I thought JB handled it well. I liked the altercation at the free-throw line afterward. I thought that was tremendous. It was great for us.”
Brown said Miami has a reputation for getting away with similar plays.
“Miami is known for being physical,” Brown said. “Miami is known for getting away with a lot of that stuff, kind of mucking up the game. At the end of the day, you’ve got to protect and own your space.”
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum wouldn’t say whether he viewed the play as dirty.
“I wasn’t out there. I know JB well,” Tatum told reporters after the game. “He ain’t trying to hurt nobody. Guys are entitled to feel how they want to feel. It was just competitive basketball being played out there.”
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