Spurs Defeat Celtics in Controversial Game

All-Star Jaylen Brown ejected after heated exchange with officials

Published on Mar. 11, 2026

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In a potential NBA Finals preview, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Boston Celtics 125-116 on Tuesday night. However, the game was marred by a controversial ejection of Celtics star Jaylen Brown late in the first half after he became enraged over a no-call by the officials.

Why it matters

The ejection of Brown, who was averaging 28.7 points per game, dampened the excitement of the nationally televised matchup between two of the league's top teams. The incident also highlighted the ongoing tensions between players and officials, as well as the Spurs' ability to maintain their composure in the face of adversity.

The details

With the Spurs leading 51-49 late in the first half, Brown stepped out of bounds with the ball but no foul was called. Brown became irate, aggressively pointing and using profanity towards the officials. He was assessed a technical foul, and then a second technical after continuing to argue, leading to his ejection. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla criticized the officials, saying the second technical should have been given to the official who stepped in to eject Brown, rather than the official Brown was originally arguing with.

  • The incident occurred late in the first half of the March 10, 2026 game between the Spurs and Celtics.
  • Brown was ejected with 2:34 remaining in the second quarter.

The players

Jaylen Brown

An All-Star guard for the Boston Celtics who was ejected from the game after becoming enraged over a no-call by the officials.

Victor Wembanyama

The star player for the San Antonio Spurs, who tied his career high with 8 three-pointers and scored 39 points in the win.

Stephon Castle

A Spurs guard who was playing tight defense on Brown when the controversial no-call occurred.

Tyler Ford

The crew chief who assessed the first technical foul on Brown for "aggressively pointing and using profanity and resentment to the no call."

Suyash Mehta

The official who assessed the second technical foul on Brown, leading to his ejection.

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What they’re saying

“I just give a ton of credit to my high school principal. He had the balls to throw a student out. He didn't leave it to the hall monitor. He was a hell of a principal.”

— Joe Mazzulla, Celtics Head Coach (expressnews.com)

“This the (expletive) I be talking about.”

— Jaylen Brown (X (formerly Twitter)

“I'll take the (expletive) fine. Curtis (Blair), all them dudes were terrible tonight. I don't care, they can fine me whatever they want, but it's crazy. Every time we play a good team, it's the same (expletive).”

— Jaylen Brown (expressnews.com)

“I think it's not that hard because we know what we want to do. We know where we're going. I think the opposite situation would be bad if we lost our focus. That would be bad. They would show immaturity, so we do what we're going to do.”

— Victor Wembanyama, Spurs Player (expressnews.com)

What’s next

The NBA is expected to review the incident and determine if any further disciplinary action is warranted against Jaylen Brown or the officials involved.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the ongoing tensions between players and officials in the NBA, as well as the Spurs' ability to maintain their composure in the face of adversity. The controversial ejection of Jaylen Brown dampened the excitement of what was a potential NBA Finals preview, underscoring the need for better communication and understanding between players and referees.