Jaylen Brown Fined $35,000 Over Officiating Rant

Jaylen Brown was hit with a $35,000 fine after publicly ripping the officiating following Boston’s 100-95 loss to San Antonio. Brown said "I'll accept the fine at this point. I thought it was some bulls--t tonight," and even called out crew chief Curtis Blair by name. The gripe follows a game with just four Celtics free throws to the Spurs 20, and a larger pattern: Boston ranks last in free throw attempts per game despite sitting 24-14 without Jayson Tatum. Merlin sees a frustrated champion and a league reminding players to use the right channels. San Antonio’s defense is elite, so some quiet whistles are explainable, yet the consistent lack of calls on Boston is a real edge opponents exploit. The fine cools words but not outcomes. Boston must force contact and adjust strategy if it wants different results.