Celts’ Brown calls out ‘foul baiting,’ says NBA rewards flopping

oklahoma city – after a few nights being taken out To vigorously debate no-call, boston celtics star jaylen brown He was unhappy with what he saw as an NBA trend of rewarding players for “calling out fouls”.

Brown raised the issue after Thursday 104-102 damage to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and this oklahoma city thunderWhen Brown scored 34 points and attempted 14 free throws, equal to his third-highest totals of the season.

It was the first time that Brown spoke to reporters since he was ejected in the second quarter of the Celtics’ road loss. San Antonio Spurs On Tuesday. He received two technical fouls after arguing when a foul should have been called. stephen castle Brown was pushed out of bounds while he was dribbling.

Brown said, “I don’t know, maybe it all works out in the end, but I don’t take foul play.” “I’m not looking to flop or anything like that, but it’s almost what you want. It’s almost like, because there were some plays in the fourth quarter where I felt like I drove strong, came out strong and didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. But maybe if I had flopped, maybe I would have been able to sell that call. And they decide the game.

“So it’s like, we applaud the players for playing the game the right way, but we give an advantage to people who are essentially trying to manipulate the game to their advantage. I don’t think that’s basketball. Let’s just play basketball. Without all the foul play, I think it’s anything to me.”

Brown didn’t mention Gilgeous-Alexander when discussing foul play, but it’s a frequently discussed topic regarding the reigning MVP’s play. The opposing crowd has chanted “Free Throw Merchant” during Gilgeous-Alexander visits on several occasions over the years.

Gilgeous-Alexander ranks third in the league in free throw attempts with 9.2 per game, behind only luka doncic And giannis antetokounmpo. The Browns are 15th at 7.1.

But Brown attempted six more free throws in Thursday’s game than Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 35 points and extended his 20-point streak to 127 games. Breaking Wilt Chamberlain’s record. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14 points without attempting a free throw in the fourth quarter, when the Browns had half of their 14 attempts.

When asked about the definition of foul batting, Brown said: “Just making contact. It’s one thing to get fouled, but it’s the same thing as driving and throwing your body while you’re not even trying to score. [a defender] Just to show that you are a victim of dishonesty. I think this is the part where it’s like, okay, let’s go. But I mean, this is where our league is. The NBA is here. So it’s like, get down or lie down. So maybe I need to flop a little more.”

Brown said he was “annoyed” that he did not get the chance to play a full game against Spurs, adding that it was a game he had included in his calendar due to the caliber of the opponent.

“I felt like I was ready for a big performance and my night got cut short,” Brown said. “In some spots, maybe I could have been a little better, but you’re emotional. It’s a big game. You want to see emotion. You want to see your star players show that emotion. I don’t think I deserve a toss. And I think the NBA agreed, because I didn’t get fined or anything like that. So it is what it is. It happens. People make mistakes, but I’m just looking forward now.”