Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was ejected midway through the second quarter of the Celtics’ 125-116 loss against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night. This came after he received back-to-back technical fouls for arguing a no-call.
Patrick Beverley Accuses NBA of Robbing Jaylen Brown of MVP Award
Patrick Beverley had Brown’s back amid the controversy. The former Los Angeles Lakers guard took to X to stand behind the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. The sequence of incidents started when Brown believed he was pushed out of bounds by Spurs guard Stephon Castle while bringing the ball up the sideline. Referee Tyler Ford, however, saw no foul, leaving Brown visibly frustrated.
Ford slapped the first technical after Brown protested the turnover call. The second, just moments later, came from umpire Suyash Mehta, who was not even part of the initial confrontation. Brown saw action for just 15 minutes, logging eight points and seven assists before his night ended prematurely.
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Responding to the entire drama, Beverley wrote on X, “The league don’t want you to get MVP Sir it’s Really sad because you deserve it this year.” Notably, Beverley quoted Brown’s own social media post about his controversial ejection. The 29-year-old took to X from the locker room while the game was still ongoing. His message was brief but pointed.
“This the s–t I be talking about,” Brown posted.
The league don’t want you to get MVP Sir it’s Really sad because you deserve it this year💐💐💐 https://t.co/mFpV0XsDng
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) March 11, 2026
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, meanwhile, addressed the ejection with his trademark candor. “I just give a ton of credit to my high school principal,” Mazzulla told reporters. “He had the balls to throw a student out. He didn’t leave it to the hall monitor.”
Mazzulla’s dig at the officiating hierarchy was unmistakable. Ford, the crew chief, had the direct confrontation with Brown but didn’t call the second technical. It was Mehta who did from across the court. When pressed about what frustrated him most, Mazzulla doubled down. “He was a hell of a principal,” Mazzulla responded.
Beyond the pointed humor, Mazzulla offered full-throated support for his star. “I understand completely where Jaylen’s coming from,” the fourth-year coach said. “Absolutely. I’ve got his back 100%. I think he was 100% right to be frustrated and do what he did.”
Regarding Beverley’s MVP claim, Brown has indeed made a case for himself with his performance this season. In a year when Boston was expected to take a step back after Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear in the 2025 playoffs, Brown lifted the team and kept them in championship contention with his career-best numbers.
Tatum returned to the lineup on March 6 after a 10-month absence, but the Celtics’ success this season has been built on Brown’s shoulders. He’s averaging 28.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game, as Boston sits in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 43-22 record.
Brown could have made the MVP chatter louder with a strong performance against San Antonio, another team to beat this season. It was also a unique opportunity to go head-to-head with Victor Wembanyama, another player in the MVP conversation. Instead, Brown had to watch the second half from the locker room while Wembanyama dropped 39 points and tied his career high with eight made threes.
Tatum believes this was a loss for the game itself. “I disagree with it,” he told reporters. “The NBA makes a big deal about prime-time games and stars playing and being available. National TV game, two of the best teams in the league, and you make a big deal about stars playing, then you get trigger-happy and throw somebody out the game. I disagree with it.”
Derrick White, who led Boston with 34 points in the loss, was even more blunt with his response. “I think he got fouled, too,” White said. “He definitely earned the first one. I thought the second one was bulls–t, honestly. You can’t throw out a guy who’s done so much for us all year, and in a game like this, especially.”
Boston gets another shot at a statement win Thursday night in Oklahoma City against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder.
