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[Saba Sports News] Josh Hart took issue with where Jaylen Brown’s hands landed during a tense moment in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Midway through the third quarter at TD Garden, the New York Knicks guard and Boston Celtics star got tangled up on an off-ball screen.
As Brown tried to fight through Hart’s screen, he appeared to grab Hart in the groin. Hart immediately responded by shoving Brown, sparking a brief scuffle with multiple pushes exchanged between the two.
Upon video review, both players were assessed technical fouls, and Brown was also charged with a personal foul for the initial contact.
Tensions have been simmering throughout the series. In Game 2, Brown was caught on camera shouting a profane taunt at Hart after scoring on him. The Celtics, trailing 3-1 heading into Game 5, were also dealing with the loss of Jayson Tatum, who suffered a ruptured Achilles in Game 4.
With emotions running high and the stakes even higher, the physical tone of the series continued to escalate in Wednesday’s matchup.