Jaylen Brown Says Joel Embiid Got Rewarded for "Flopping Around" After Playoffs Exit
Jaylen Brown gave Joel Embiid his credit after Boston's playoff exit, but he also made it clear he was not happy with how the game was officiated. After the 76ers beat the Celtics 109-100 in Game 7 to close out a tense series, Brown admitted Boston did not really have an answer for Embiid's size and physicality.
But he did not stop there. Brown also accused Embiid of "flopping around" and said the Sixers star was rewarded with extra calls because of it. For Brown, the frustration was not just that Embiid was difficult to stop, but that the whistle made the challenge even tougher.
Jaylen Brown on Joel Embiid:
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 3, 2026
"We didn't really have an answer for him…He's a big body. He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and stuff like that, and they rewarded him for that. But that's the league that we're in."
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Brown in the post game press conference did not mince his words at all. He said, "We didn't really have an answer for him…He's a big body. He also was flopping around. He got some extra calls and stuff like that, and they rewarded him for that. But that's the league that we're in."
A Closer Look at How Game 7 Played Out Between the Celtics and the 76ers
Boston had the series in its hands, and somehow Philadelphia walked out with it.
The 76ers went into TD Garden and beat the Celtics 109-100 in Game 7, turning a 3-1 deficit into a second-round trip. They now move on to face the Knicks, while Boston is left with one of the more painful playoff exits of its recent run.
Jayson Tatum's absence changed everything before tipoff. He was ruled out with knee stiffness shortly before the game, forcing the Celtics into a reshuffled lineup and putting even more pressure on Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. Brown responded with 33 points, and White added 26, but Boston never fully found the rhythm it needed.
Joel Embiid was the difference-maker for Philadelphia. After missing the early part of the series, he came back and gave Boston problems it could not solve. In Game 7, he delivered 34 points, 12 rebounds, and six assists, while Tyrese Maxey matched his energy with 30 points, 11 boards, and seven assists.
The Celtics did fight back after falling behind big, even cutting the game to one in the fourth quarter. But when it came time to finish, Philadelphia made the cleaner plays. Boston's three-point shooting went cold again, and the Sixers closed the door.
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This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM.