Jaylen Brown accuses NBA refs of playoff agenda
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown accused NBA officials of targeting him with an agenda during the team's first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The claim came after Philadelphia's 109-100 victory in Game 7 on May 2, 2026, at TD Garden in Boston. Brown highlighted inconsistent calls on push-offs and his league-leading offensive fouls in the playoffs.
Brown referenced 76ers center Joel Embiid receiving favorable calls, including in Game 7 where Embiid scored 34 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and added six assists while shooting 9-for-11 from the free-throw line. He criticized Embiid for flopping to draw extra calls. Brown also claimed he spoke to referees who acknowledged a preconceived approach to penalizing his arm movements on drives, a move he said players like Paul George and Jalen Brunson also use.
Brown averaged 25.7 points per game on 45.5% shooting in the series. In the regular season, he led the Celtics with 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists over 71 games while Jayson Tatum missed most of the year. Boston finished 56-26 and second in the Eastern Conference.
The series loss ends Boston's season. Philadelphia advances in the 2026 NBA playoffs.
