BOSTON — Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown takes pride in not needing to flop to score. However, his lack of acting for calls sometimes causes officials to overlook the physical contact he endures on a nightly basis. The Green Team's 114-110 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Monday evening was a prime example of that.

Through 34 minutes of play, Brown attempted just three free throws. He had about 10 shots around the rim and averages the third-most drives per game of any player, yet that didn't help him get to the line against Denver.

“I would've loved to get to the free throw line a little bit more,” Brown admitted. “I was physical, I was aggressive, I went up strong, I didn't flop. But I kind of let the officiating get to my head a little bit.”

Although Brown didn't receive his first free throw attempt until midway through the third quarter, he still notched a game-high 33 points while shooting about 48% from the field. Monday night isn't the first time the four-time All-Star has been frustrated by the referees this season, so he's learned how to adapt to the way he's officiated.

“I'll adjust for the next game and kind of see how the game is being called,” he said. “Because if you don't get some of those calls and they look like bad shots, it kind of snowballs on defense. So, I still want to keep being aggressive. That's what I do. That's what my team wants me to do. But balancing it, picking and choosing my spots based on how they officiate the game night to night.”

What else went wrong during Celtics' first loss of 2026?

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The Celtics shot 15 free throws versus the Nuggets but missed six of them. These kinds of mistakes added up for Boston, as it also doubled Denver in turnovers (14 to 7), which is very uncharacteristic for a team that's averaged the fewest turnovers per game almost halfway through the 2025-26 regular season.

Despite the Celtics' disappointing performance against the Nuggets, who were without three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, they're still 23-13 overall and exceeding expectations. Brown is the main reason why the C's have overachieved, making his ability to overcome his frustration with the officials significant.

“Every night the officiating style is different, which is, you know, whatever,” he said with the tone of a player hoping to avoid a fine from the league. “But I'll be ready for the next game.”

Following the end of their four-game winning streak, the Celtics will face the Toronto Raptors on Friday night in an important Eastern Conference battle. And regardless of how Brown is reffed, he'll play with his patented fire in order to elevate the Celtics to heights few thought they could reach.