Many factors went into how the Boston Celtics lost to the Indiana Pacers on January 8. Chief among them was when the referees overturned a foul called on Buddy Hield in the game’s closing seconds. Despite clear footage showing that Hield hit Jaylen Brown‘s head when the latter went up for a shot, the referees overturned the call.
During his postgame press conference, Brown disagreed with the call while demanding an investigation into the referees’ decision.
“I think he obviously hit me in the head. We definitely need to do some investigation. That’s all I’m gonna say. I think that was an obvious one. I’ve never heard of ‘head part of the ball.’ It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Brown said, per Celtics on NBC Sports Boston’s X account.
Brown further vented his frustration at the call reversal, knowing how things turned out afterward.
“That cost our team the game. You expect us not to be frustrated? We’re trying to build good habits. We’re trying to win as many games as possible. We just dropped one because of that, so I feel like we have the right to be upset. The league should understand. Of course, we’re going to say something about it after the game. So I don’t think there should be any fines, but I definitely think that one should be investigated.”
Buddy Hield Admits He Made Contact With Jaylen Brown
After the Celtics game, Buddy Hield revealed that he made contact with Brown, though he did not admit in full that he fouled him.
“I thought I might have hit him a little bit, but they have three refs out there, and they have cameras, and they got to slow down the angles of it,” Hield told reporters, per Celtics on CLNS Media’s X account. “I know I touched the ball, but I maybe nicked Brown in the head a little bit. I’m not too sure, but it’s the end of the game.”
During the very play, Benedict Matthurin believed the referees called the foul on him while defending Brown, so he vigorously signaled for the Pacers to challenge. Hield, on the other hand, raised his hands above his head, showing that he took no issue with the call.
Jaylen Brown’s Additional Reaction to Overturned Call
Jaylen Brown will not let this controversial call go anytime soon. After the Celtics loss, Brown posted a tweet that said, “We see you (Buffalo Wild Wings),” while quote-tweeting BBallBreakdown’s X account, who explained why the overturned call made no sense.
Brown first made this reference because former NBA player Quentin Richardson referenced Buffalo Wild Wings when he reacted to the call.
For context, this is in reference to a Buffalo Wild Wings commercial from years ago. In the commercial, a referee asks fans at the restaurant to see if he should force a football game to go into overtime.
By shouting out Buffalo Wild Wings, Brown has insinuated that the referees rigged the game. Brown said he doesn’t want a fine, but his actions may lead to one anyway.
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Jaylen Brown Calls for Investigation After Controversial Celtics Loss