Celtics' Season Ends in Game 7
The Celtics' season ended Saturday night in a do-or-die Game 7 against the 76ers, marking Philadelphia's first playoff series win over Boston in 44 years. Joel Embiid led the charge with 34 points to beat the No. 2-seeded Celtics, 109-100, at TD Garden, helping Philly come back from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in franchise history.
Brown's Postgame Comments
Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who finished with a team-high 33 points with Jayson Tatum sitting out due to knee stiffness, made some pointed comments about the 76ers big man following the Celtics' brutal loss.
"We tried a bunch of different things, and he just—you know, he's a big body. He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and stuff like that and they rewarded him for that. But that's the league that we're in. That's all I got to say," Brown admitted that his team didn't "really have an answer" for Embiid.
Fourth Quarter Incident
In the fourth quarter, Brown drove into the paint for a layup, drawing a blocking foul from Paul George in the process. As Brown jumped up for the shot, he was bumped in the air by Embiid after the whistle and fell to the court in visible pain. After a review, Embiid received a technical foul for the contact.
The two star players were jawing at each other all night. After the Celtics' loss, they shared a short embrace on the court, suggesting there was no actual beef and they were both just being extremely competitive in an elimination game.
Brown's Take on the Season
Despite the tough loss, Brown looked like his MVP-caliber self and helped will the Celtics back into the game following the team's slow start. He shot 12-of-27 from the field and 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, adding nine rebounds and four assists.
"This season, what the expectations were and how we came out and we rose to meet that level of uncertainty with this group—there's nothing more I could ask for. I had a great time with my teammates. We played hard. Feel like we left it all out there. Tonight, we came up short," Brown said.