The Boston Celtics were defeated by the Indiana Pacers on the road, losing 131-133. Despite Jaylen Brown's season-high 40 points, the Celtics missed out on the win because of a controversial call by the referees, and head coach Joe Mazzulla was furious.
With the game tied at 131 late in the game, Brown attempted a 14-foot jumper near the baseline for the game-winner, but Pacers guard Buddy Hield appeared to hit him in the head. The referees initially called a foul on Hield, but after the Pacers challenged the call, the referees reversed it and the Pacers gained possession.
Celtics centre Kristaps Porzingis was then blown for a foul while defending Pacers forward Benedict Maturin's final three-pointer. Although the call was also challenged by Boston, it was not overturned and Maturin was given three free throw opportunities with less than a second left in the game. He ended up making one of two free throws to seal the win for the Pacers.
After the game, Mazzulla was visibly upset with the referees' calls and couldn't wait to watch the NBA's final two-minute report. He even revealed that Hield admitted the foul on Brown to him after the game.
"I can't wait to see the four o'clock game tomorrow," Mazzulla said." I'm not going to get mad at Buddy Hield for telling me he fouled him. So I can't wait to see the last two minutes of the report."
It's unclear if L2MR will uphold the call, but given the controversial nature of the end of the game, the league will certainly conduct a thorough review.
Brown also questioned the referee's decision to rescind the foul call against him. He said Shields clearly hit him in the head and there was no reason to overturn the call. He also added that the league should investigate the matter, suggesting there may have been other motives.
"I think he clearly hit me in the head," Brown said." We definitely need to do some investigation, that's what I'm saying. I think it was a very obvious foul. ...... I think we have a right to be angry and the league should understand.
Prior to this game, the Celtics had won two straight and eight of their last nine games. So this loss was a rare setback for the first-place Celtics in the East. As for the Pacers, they have won seven of their last eight games and continue to solidify their position as a playoff contender.
Boston (28-8) will host the first-place Minnesota Timberwolves (25-10) in the Western Conference on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Indiana Pacers (21-15) will host the struggling Washington Wizards (6-30) on Wednesday. The Pacers could be without star point guard Tyrese Halliburton, who left the game early Monday with a hamstring strain.
