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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 24: Head Coach Joe Mazzulla of the Boston Celtics speaks to the media during Boston Celtics Media Day at The Auerbach Center on September 24, 2024 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)
During the Boston Celtics’ March 10 matchup against the San Antonio Spurs, the Eastern Conference contenders lost their star forward, Jaylen Brown, to an early ejection.
Brown left the game with just 15 minutes played. When he exited, the star forward had just eight points on 4-8 shooting from the field. He was already hovering around a double-double with seven assists, two rebounds, and one steal.
Unfortunately, Brown got tossed, which led to Joe Mazzulla calling out the referees in the most Mazzulla way as possible after the game.
Joe Mazzulla Calls Out Officials After Celtics-Spurs
gary washburn
Classic Joe Mazzulla when asked about Jaylen Brown’s ejection and that crew chief Tyler Ford did not assess the second technical to Brown, instead it was Suyash Mehta. #Celtics #Spurs.
“I just give a ton of credit to my high school principal. He had the balls to throw a student out, he didn’t leave it to the hall monitor,” the head coach told a room full of reporters.
Mazzulla took issue with the officiating umpire tossing Brown, and not the crew chief. When asked a follow-up about his frustrations on the sequence, Mazzulla continued his quote.
“He was a hell of a principal.”
Shortly after Mazzulla’s presser, the NBA released the results of a pool report, which explained Brown’s early departure.
The night’s crew chief, Tyler Ford, noted that Brown received his first technical foul for “aggressively pointing and using profanity and resentment to the no call.”
As for the second: “He aggressively approached a game official while pointing and using profanity.”
Not long after Brown hit the locker room, he took to social media to fire off his own reaction before the media could catch up with him during postgame.
“This the s*** I be talking about,” Brown wrote on X.
Boston Celtics Fall Short Without Brown
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – DECEMBER 19: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics takes a shot during warmups before a game against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on December 19, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images)
It’s no secret that Jaylen Brown has been a primary reason for the Celtics’ success in 2025-2026.
Without the star forward Jayson Tatum on the floor for most of the year, Brown stepped up and became a dominant 1A star. He might not be the league’s MVP favorite at this time, but his name has been mentioned in the race. Typically, Tatum is the one who receives that type of league-wide recognition out of Boston.
In 57 games leading up to Tuesday’s action, Brown has been posting averages of 28.7 points (48% FG, 34% 3PT), 7.2 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game.
The Spurs defeated the Celtics on Tuesday with a 125-116 victory. Derrick White finished the game as the Celtics’ top scorer. The veteran guard shot 11-22 from the field, and made 9-11 from the free-throw line. He accounted for 34 points, five rebounds, and seven assists.
Second to White was the veteran Jayson Tatum. In just his third game back, Tatum went 10-24 from the field, making 4-14 shots from three. The All-Star forward finished the game with 24 points, five rebounds, and two steals.
As long as the NBA counts Brown’s ejection as his only punishment with the situation, he should be back on the court for Boston’s next outing. The game takes place on Thursday, March 12. The Celtics will visit the Oklahoma City Thunder.