NBA rescinds controversial Game 7 technical foul on Celtics' Jaylen Brown issued by Scott Foster
Scott Foster got this one wrong.
The NBA announced Monday that it has rescinded a controversial technical foul called on Celtics forward Jaylen Brown during Sunday's Game 7 between Boston and the Philadelphia 76ers. Brown was called for a double technical alongside 76ers forward Georges Niang in the first half.
The incident took place midway through the second quarter with the 76ers leading, 35-33. Brown fell into the 76ers' bench after saving a rebound from going out of bounds. As Jayson Tatum led a Celtics break, Brown remained in the backcourt and barked at the 76ers bench.
Foster — the officiating crew chief — whistled Brown for a technical foul. Brown protested, and officials went to the replay monitor.
Jaylen Brown and Georges Niang were both given a technical foul after Niang appeared to grab Brown's leg from the bench. pic.twitter.com/rBwelUVROZ
— ESPN (@espn) May 14, 2023
Video showed that Niang contacted Brown from his position on the 76ers bench. As Brown stood up, Niang reached out with his right hand to touch Brown's waist. He maintained contact with Brown's left leg as the Celtics forward turned upcourt to rejoin play. That's when Brown turned around to confront the 76ers bench.
Foster announced after the review that both Niang and Brown were assessed technicals. Niang was issued a technical for "grabbing the leg of Brown by the bench." Brown was issued a technical because Foster determined that he "taunted the bench unnecessarily."
Brown: 'Here comes Scott Foster'
After the game Brown protested the technical and called Foster out by name.
“I don’t know which way I should have responded to it,” Brown told reporters. “But if I didn’t do anything it probably would have played on. And here comes Scott Foster, right away before even deciphering the situation, gives me a tech.
“I definitely didn’t want to get a tech in that situation, but somehow coming out of all that commotion, it ended up being even."
The league did not rescind Niang's technical. Had the call been made correctly on the court, the Celtics would have been awarded a free throw. Since the call was for double technicals, neither team shot a free throw.
Fortunately for the Celtics, the call ultimately didn't have an impact on the outcome of the game. Boston pulled away in the second half for a 112-88 win to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. With the technical rescinded, Brown avoids the $2,000 fine that comes with it. He also avoids accumulating a technical. Players are suspended after their seventh technical foul of the postseason.
