Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla strongly defended Jaylen Brown after the All-Star forward was ejected during Tuesday’s 125-116 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Brown received two technical fouls with 3:42 remaining in the second quarter following an argument with officials after a turnover. The second technical resulted in an automatic ejection.
Mazzulla made it clear after the game that he supported his star forward’s reaction.
“I understand completely where Jaylen’s coming from,” Mazzulla said. “Absolutely. And I got his back 100%. And I think he was 100% right to be frustrated and do what he did.”
The Celtics competed throughout the night despite losing one of their primary scorers early.
Boston trimmed the deficit to one point with about six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter before San Antonio regained control behind Victor Wembanyama’s scoring and perimeter shooting.
Mazzulla said execution on the other side made the difference late.
“I don’t know if there were breakdowns,” Mazzulla said. “I think they just executed. I think they made a corner three. I think they got a layup there. We missed a couple shots.”
He added that momentum shifted quickly in the closing stretch.
“Give credit to them. They played well,” Mazzulla said. “I thought they got hot from shooting, but I thought our guys played hard.”
Wembanyama led the Spurs with 39 points and 11 rebounds while matching a career high with eight three-pointers.
Mazzulla acknowledged the difficulty of defending the 7-foot-4 forward, whose versatility forces constant adjustments.
“You give credit to him. He’s a hell of a player,” Mazzulla said. “You have to constantly be assessing what do you want to live with and what do you want to take away.”
He noted that some of the Spurs’ perimeter looks came in transition.
“Some of them came in transition which we can control,” Mazzulla said. “But you have to be willing to live with something when you play against him.”
The Celtics also faced the challenge of managing Jayson Tatum’s minutes as he continues his return from the Achilles injury he suffered in May 2025.
Tatum scored 24 points in 27 minutes and briefly carried Boston early in the fourth quarter with a personal scoring burst.
“He went on a seven-nothing run by himself early in the fourth quarter,” Mazzulla said.
Despite the momentum, the Celtics stuck to the pre-planned workload.
“No, it wasn’t difficult at all,” Mazzulla said of the decision to remove Tatum. “Whatever gives us the best chance to win and at the same time whatever gives us the best chance for us to continue to do that.”
Derrick White led Boston with 34 points and seven assists while Ron Harper Jr. added 22 points off the bench on 8-of-11 shooting.
Mazzulla praised the collective effort despite the loss.
“I thought everyone just battled tonight,” Mazzulla said. “Credit to everybody.”
The defeat dropped Boston to 43-22, though the team remains second in the Eastern Conference standings.
San Antonio improved to 48-17, strengthening its hold on second place in the Western Conference while extending its winning streak to five games.
Boston will continue its road trip Thursday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
