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Celtics' Jaylen Brown Says Sixers Fans Got a 'Little Excessive'

Celtics star Jaylen Brown embraced a hostile crowd in South Philly on Saturday, but thought some fans took things too far.
Justin Grasso|
Celtics' Jaylen Brown Says Sixers Fans Got a 'Little Excessive'
Celtics' Jaylen Brown Says Sixers Fans Got a 'Little Excessive'

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The Wells Fargo Center was a packed house for Saturday’s matchup between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. As the Sixers were on a five-game win streak, they had an opportunity to potentially defeat the reigning Eastern Conference Champions for the first time this year.

Considering the magnitude of the matchup, the Celtics faced an intense crowd in South Philly on Saturday night. One that Celtics star Jaylen Brown acknowledged after the matchup.

“The crowd was a little bit hostile,” the star told NBC Sports Boston. “There were moments there was people on the side talking crazy.”

When asked if he enjoys a challenging environment like how the Wells Fargo Center was on Saturday, Brown was on the fence with his answer, as he believes some fans took things too far.

“It depends,” Brown responded. “I started talking to one of the fans because it got a little bit excessive. Where it got a little disrespectful and stuff like that. Even before the game, I was entering the arena, and there was people saying, ‘Oh, I hope you tear your ACL.’ I understand people care, and they love the team they cheer for, but I think it gets a little excessive at times.” 

The NBA has dealt with its fair share of issues regarding fan interactions with players. Both Philly and Boston are no exception to that.

While Brown felt like select Philly fans took the trash talk too far at times on Saturday, he was ultimately satisfied with the fact that his team could overcome the obstacles and secure the victory.

“We persevere, make some plays, and get the win,” Brown finished.

Saturday night’s atmosphere resembled playoff basketball. In a game that went down to the wire, the Celtics squeezed out a tight victory over the Sixers, improving their first-place record to 44-17.

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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