Several Indiana Pacers fans were fuming Monday over one particular call during the team’s elimination game defeat against the Boston Celtics.
The Celtics completed a sweep of the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals with a 105-102 Game 4 win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind.
The Pacers were ahead for most of the second half and held a 94-88 lead with under eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. At the 7:23 mark, Pacers guard TJ McConnell tried to snag an offensive rebound off an Andrew Nembhard miss. McConnell was smacked hard on the face by Celtics All-Star Jaylen Brown and landed violently on the hardwood.
Pacers fans were FURIOUS that Jaylen Brown wasn’t assessed a flagrant for this hard foul on TJ McConnell.
Did the officials get this one right?
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 28, 2024
The referees reviewed the play for a possible flagrant foul. Pacers fans in Gainbridge Fieldhouse showered veteran official Zach Zarba with boos once he announced that the contact was deemed a regular loose ball foul.
A handful of fans and media members on X were just as perplexed at the ruling.
If this is any level of star and not TJ McConnell against the 1 seed Celtics, this is without a doubt a flagrant foul
— Bad Sports Refs (@BadSportsRefs) May 28, 2024
In the modern NBA, that Jaylen Brown foul is a flagrant foul 10 out of 10 times. The refs basically hit the wrap it up button on this series.
— Raheem Palmer (@iamrahstradamus) May 28, 2024
TJ McConnell gets punched in the face and there is no flagrant.
I don’t ever wanna hear anything else about the officiating in Pacers games.pic.twitter.com/Aow5Btv0ce
— Zach Vogt (@ZachVogt30) May 28, 2024
That’s a flagrant according to every NBA game I have watched this season
— Young Simba (@the2kmessiah) May 28, 2024
The idea this wasn’t ruled a flagrant 1 is insane. Severe contact to the face area, intentional or not, is exactly the criteria for a flagrant 1 https://t.co/CjFajcMqO0
— BBALLBREAKDOWN (@bballbreakdown) May 28, 2024
The Celtics outscored the Pacers 17-8 the rest of the way. Brown made two critical plays in the game’s final 65 seconds. The Celtics forward got a key block on Nembhard, then delivered the assist on Derrick White’s go-ahead three-pointer to seal Boston’s 105-102 win.
Brown’s heroics throughout the series won him the Larry Bird Trophy, which is given to the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Jaylen Brown wins the Larry Bird Trophy for 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP! pic.twitter.com/GdIhyYBMVP
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 28, 2024
The Pacers were either tied or held a lead in the final two minutes of Games 1, 3, and 4 but failed to come away with a single victory in the series.
