Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Addresses Line-Toeing Celebration Vs. Pistons

Jaylen Brown might’ve gotten a little carried away during Wednesday night’s Boston Celtics win over the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden, and pending a potential review from the NBA’s higher powers, a fine could be in the works.

Brown captured his highlight reel moment by putting Detroit’s 6-foot-8 forward Isaiah Stewart on a poster with a vicious dunk in the first quarter. The five-time All-Star embraced the crowd reaction that was generated by then locking eyes with Stewart and performing a throat-slicing gesture — straight out of a horror film. While doing an impression of WWE Hall of Famer The Undertaker might bode well on social media, the NBA likely won’t support Brown’s choice of celebration.

The reigning NBA Finals MVP understands that too.

“Just caught up in the moment, I guess. Big play,” Brown told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I think that the NBA and the (Players Association) are sensitive about the gestures and things like that so gotta be mindful of that.”

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When asked if Brown expects a message relayed from the league regarding the gesture, the 28-year-old didn’t hesitate.

“Oh yeah. Oh yeah,” Brown responded, per CLNS Media.

Boston took the floor down two starters, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, leaving a major chunk of leadership responsibility in Brown’s hands. And while going with a violent-natured celebration isn’t the most family-friendly, Brown’s production spoke for itself. He scored a game-leading 28 points — tallying 23 by halftime — with six rebounds, nine assists and three steals to guide Boston to a 130-120 victory over Detroit.

Tip-toeing the line of self-celebration and pimping highlights might cost Brown a buck — or a couple of thousand — but none of it concerns the rest of Boston’s bench, including Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

“I enjoy watching guys have their own personality,” Mazzulla told reporters, as seen on NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “Whatever that may be, to impact the game. So I want the guys to be able to have a personality and to impact the crowd — they’re here to support us and to help us and they do a tremendous job of that. The thing I like is just being in the arena with the guys and competing at a high level. I love when I see the best come out of them and I love when I see the fans kind of help us take it to another level.”

Brown’s performance, coupled with the TD Garden energy, helped the Celtics outlast the Pistons and their late-game determination to shrink Boston’s 20-point lead down into the single digits in the fourth quarter. Winners in four of their last five, the Celtics welcome Doc Rivers, Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks for an Eastern Conference rival matchup in Boston on Friday night next.