Jayson Tatum criticized officiating after the Boston Celtics' 125-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday night, calling the refs "trigger happy" after teammate Jaylen Brown was ejected early in the game.
Brown was ejected after receiving two technical fouls during the contest, limiting the Celtics star to just 15 minutes of action. Tatum, who recently returned from an Achilles tear last spring, addressed the situation after the game.
"I disagree with that. You know, the NBA makes a big deal about prime time games and stars playing and being available... He was definitely pushed and maybe the first tech was necessary, the emotions were too high."
Tatum continued to raise questions over the timing of his ejection during the nationally televised matchup.
"National TV game, the two best teams in the league and you make a big deal about the stars playing and you're happy to take someone out of the game. I disagree with that."
Brown's frustration began after a sequence in which he believed he was fouled out of bounds by Spurs guard Stephen Cassel. After the game, Brown confronted crew chief Tyler Ford by pointing at him, causing the first technical foul.
"National TV game, the two best teams in the league and you make a big deal about the stars playing and you're happy to take someone out of the game. I disagree with that."
Jayson Tatum on Jaylen Brown's ejection at Celtics-Spurs last nightpic.twitter.com/dzbBeYlm9v https://t.co/CjynsnpBNR
- ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) 11 March 2026
The Celtics guard remained visibly upset and argued with officials as teammates attempted to calm him down. Umpire Suyyash Mehta later assessed a second technical foul, resulting in Brown being sent off.
Officials explain Jaylen Brown's removal because Jayson Tatum disagreed
Brown finished the night with eight points, seven assists, two rebounds and one steal while making 4 of 8 shots from the field.
Ford later explained the officiating team's decision in the league's pool report.
"(The first technical was) for aggressively gesturing and using profanity and outrage without a call," Ford said in the pool report, via NBA insider Brett Siegel for ClutchPoints. "(The second technical was called because) he aggressively approached a game official, pointing and using profanity."
Tatum, playing his third game back from injury, led Boston with 24 points while adding five rebounds, two assists and two steals. The 27-year-old shot 10 of 24 from the field and 4 of 14 from three-point range in 27 minutes.
Despite Tatum's efforts, Boston was unable to overcome Brown's absence for most of the game. The loss dropped the Celtics to 43–22 on the season.
Boston will try to regroup on Thursday night when it concludes its three-game road trip against the Oklahoma City Thunder, who enter the matchup with a 51-15 record. Tipoff is scheduled for 9:30 pm ET on Prime Video.
