After Jaylen Brown and Duncan Robinson were tangled up in a play, then had further words for each other, Sunday’s rivalry game upped the intensity immediately. The Celtics and Heat know each other plenty well, so the playoff atmosphere was more-than-easy to replicate down the stretch.
It’s partly why C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said he liked the altercation between Brown and Robinson. The play started with the two getting tangled up after Robinson was called for a foul. Then Brown yanked Robinson off of him, leading to a flagrant foul on the Celtics All-Star. Robinson called out Brown for a “dirty play,” and Brown took a shot at Robinson afterwards.
Regardless, it was a boost for the C’s, according to Kristaps Porzingis, as they came away the 110-106 win over the Heat. So there were some messages to be gained from not just the win but the altercation.
BetMGM BET $5, GET $158! BONUS BETS
STATES: MA, KY, AZ, CO, IA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MI, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA. Visit BetMGM.com for Terms and Conditions. 21 years of age or older to wager. MA Only. New Customer Offer. All promotions are subject to qualification and eligibility requirements. Rewards issued as non-withdrawable bonus bets. Bonus bets expire 7 days from issuance. In Partnership with MGM Springfield. Play it smart from the start with GameSense. GameSenseMA.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-327-5050 or visit gamblinghelplinema.org.
“I love it,” Porzingis said. “I think we have to take those emotional moments in a good way. Make us fired up but controlled. We have to stay controlled. Because that’s their game. They need us to react to something. As JB says, we own our space. But we don’t have to react back. They have to do that to mix up the game, to make something happen. And I just think we have to be smart in those situations, but show that we’re right there.”
The C’s and Heat are plenty familiar with each other after playing in the East Finals in three of the past four seasons. Both team’s cores have remained mostly the same during that time, though there are new faces to the rivalry like Porzingis. The Celtics got to send a message as they swept the season series 3-0 on the Heat, though if the teams meeting the playoffs again, the result there obviously means so much more.
But Sunday’s game was a solid sign the Celtics were willing to scuffle. This part of the year — now just two games away from the All-Star break — can have their lulls as part of the dog days of the season. But the C’s were more than willing to match the Heat’s intensity to muck the game up. So the focus is clearly there for the team with the best record in the league. And as the C’s march toward the playoffs, keeping that even-keeled focus has been an emphasis.
“I don’t think it was anything special,” Brown said of the altercation. “I don’t really have a comment on it. I think we’re just two teams, playing hard, trying to figure out how to win. I think he was trying to get his team motivated right there, and then I was ready to move onto the next play.”
- Highly anticipated sportsbooks like BetMGM Massachusetts, along with Caesars Sportsbook Massachusetts have been live since Spring of 2023. New players can use promo codes like the FanDuel Massachusetts promo code and the DraftKings Massachusetts promo.
