Jaylen Brown likely hopes he was loud and clear enough in his postgame message to Duncan Robinson following the Boston Celtics 110-106 victory over the Miami Heat on February 11: Robinson better not think of doing anything similar the next time the two face off in either the postseason or the 2024-25 season.

“I think there was no issue for me,” Brown said after the game (h/t Boston.com). “I think he knew exactly what he was trying to do, trying to get tangled up, et cetera because he didn’t want to play defense. We called the foul, but he was still trying to hang on so I was trying to get my arm free.

“Miami is known for being physical. Miami is known for getting away with a lot of that stuff, kind of mucking up the game. At the end of the day, you’ve got to protect and own your space. I don’t know what he was trying to do, but I bet you he won’t do it again.”

Duncan Robinson accuses Jaylen Brown of ‘dirty play’ during Boston Celtics win
Robinson didn’t exactly mince words himself, either; calling out Brown for what he thought was a “dirty play” on the fourth quarter Flagrant 1 on No. 7.

“I just thought it was a dirty play, to be honest with you,” Robinson said. “That’s how people miss entire seasons, knock on wood obviously, but those types of plays we’ve seen before throughout the history of the NBA. Guys suffer really bad injuries from instances exactly like that.”

Perhaps once Xavier Tillman starts playing, the Celtics will have their much-needed enforcer to step up and defend star players at times like these. Until then, though, Brown seems perfectly willing to defend himself.

And then let his opponents know how he feels about it in the postgame presser.