Stephen A. Smith and the entire NBA watched as the Boston Celtics blew a 3-1 series lead to the seventh-seeded Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday. It was a stunning first-round collapse that ended their season far earlier than most fans could have imagined. Joel Embiid delivered 34 points, 12 rebounds and six assists in the 109-100 Game 7 victory at TD Garden. sending Boston home in one of the most shocking upsets of the 2026 playoffs.
Rather than absorb the loss quietly, Celtics star Jaylen Brown went on Twitch the following day and directed his frustration at Embiid, accusing the former league MVP of deliberate flopping to draw foul calls. He also suggested the referees carried a personal agenda against him throughout the series, and claimed he had spoken directly to officials who admitted as much. He pointed to the 10 offensive fouls called against him in the series as evidence of targeted officiating.
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However, the NBA world was not particularly sympathetic, with many calling out Brown for not taking accountability for the loss. Smith joined the chorus Monday on ESPN’s First Take, and did not hold back on the five-time All-Star:
“You getting paid over $300 million. You were a MVP candidate. You were up 3-1 in this series. Did you say anything when you were up 3-1? No you didn’t…. That is not why the Celtics lost. They lost because they live and die by the 3 and they play dumb basketball down the stretch.”
The Celtics shot poorly from three throughout the series’ decisive stretch. In Game 7, Boston made just 13 of its 49 attempted shots from beyond the arc (26.5%). Brown scored 33 points, but also struggled from deep (33.3%).
