Jaylen Brown partially blames the refs for the C’s second-half meltdown. The Boston Celtics once again proved that this lethal team could lose any time, despite their unbelievably strong lineup. However, losing against the OKC Thunder wasn’t an embarrassing thing as such. Well, they are the hottest team with a 15-game winning streak. But how JB and Co. lost the game was the humiliating part. Despite holding a lead in the first half, the defending champions barely moved the needle in the second.

Jaylen Brown was part of the problem for the C’s struggle. After scoring 21 points in the first half, he went scoreless, missing all his buckets, in the second half. Following the contrasting performance, he had only one thing to blame: the officiating.

Speaking to the reporters after the game, Jaylen Brown said, “Just a lack of poise. Seeing the game, seeing how the game is being called, seeing the adjustments and being able to adjust quicker. In the first half, we got to the line, we got free throws. We got what we wanted. In the second half. We didn’t get to the line. They were calling those touch fouls…. the whistle wasn’t on our side. We just have to be able to adjust.” 

The Thunder just proved why they are title favorites. After heading to the locker room with a 10-point deficit, they came out in an entirely different mode. Well, they lead the league in defensive rating, allowing only 103.3 points per game. They restricted the Celtics to just 27 points in the second half while they scored 50 points. Moreover, the C’s, who are heavily dependent on their 3-point shooting, struggled to make shots, as they went 9-46 from deep overall! Meanwhile, the Thunder dropped 16 off 38 attempts.

It clearly wasn’t the Celts’ night. However, Jaylen Brown still blamed the refs for the second-half fumble. Importantly, it wasn’t the first time when JB called out the officials publicly.

Jaylen Brown and refs: A cat-and-mouse affair

The reigning NBA Finals MVP is undoubtedly one of the most vocal players in the league. The star speaks his mind and doesn’t mince his words. Such is his reputation. In this season alone, the star forward has unhesitantly gone up against the refs multiple times.

Following the loss against the Orlando Magic, despite his 35-point outing, he pointed fingers at the refs for siding with the Florida side. He said, “Things wasn’t going our way. We felt like the officials were one-sided.” Moreover, he also blamed the refs for allowing the Magic players to get physical. Once again, the Magic are a defensive team and the C’s fell short. Are we seeing a pattern?

Similarly, after the loss against the Chicago Bulls, the hoopster blamed the refs for threatening him. Jaylen Brown said, “I said to him, ‘You called a tech for no reason’… He said, ‘If you say it to me again, I’m going to call another tech’.”

Tony Brothers was refereeing the game. In his defense, the ref said, “He questioned our integrity multiple times during that same sequence.” So, what do you make of this recurring pattern around C’s players and their fans getting constantly bugged by the officiating? Will Jaylen Brown find his way out of the embarrassment with a strong performance? Drop your predictions below.