Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Has Different Approach To Refs Than Luka Doncic

Luka Doncic has taken a lot of flack surrounding his lackluster performance in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, which was capped off when the Dallas Mavericks star fouled out after being called for a block on Jaylen Brown with 4:12 left in the fourth quarter.

After the Celtics narrowly defeated the Mavericks, 106-99, with Doncic on the bench, the 25-year-old took a jab at the referees.

"I don't want to say nothing, but six fouls in the NBA Finals, basically I'm like this," Doncic told reporters as he motioned his palm out, as seen on NBA's postgame coverage. "C'mon man. Be better than that."

Brown has a completely different approach when it comes to the referees than Doncic.

"I've never been a complainer to the refs," Brown said Thursday, per league-provided transcript. "I don't think I've ever had a history -- I don't even know most of the refs by name.

"I do think having a relationship and talking with them to know what you're kind of seeing can have a benefit. But at this point, I think it's a distraction. You go out there and you play the game, and you take it out of the referees' hands."

The Celtics superstar is not often considered Boston's best player when Jayson Tatum is in the lineup, but Brown has been the team's leading scorer through three games of the Finals. He has averaged 24.3 points per game on 55.1% shooting from the field. The duo have been superb throughout Boston's playoff run.