Tonight’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and the San Antonio Spurs was bound to be a good one. Both teams have been hot to start the new year, but it wasn’t the play on the court that defined the game; one moment captured the attention. Celtics star Jaylen Brown was ejected from tonight’s game. Here’s what happened.

With about 3:40 left in the second quarter, Brown, who was attempting to start a drive, was pushed by Stephon Castle near the sideline, causing him to fall out of bounds. Brown aggressively complained to crew chief Tyler Ford, who was standing right next to the push, but didn’t call a foul, giving the Spurs the ball due to the out-of-bounds call.

Brown was furious, and his repeated complaints earned him a technical foul from Ford. Brown walked away for a second, before turning around and approaching Ford again, when he had to be held back by Derrick White, Sam Hauser, and Baylor Scheierman, and later security, too. This time, official Suyash Mehta called the second technical foul, automatically ejecting Brown for the game.

Brown had been leading the team’s offense during the time he was on the floor, logging eight points and seven assists, along with two rebounds and a steal.

With him leaving the game, the responsibility to carry the team’s offense falls on Jayson Tatum, who’s still getting into rhythm following his return from his Achilles injury, as well as Derrick White.

With Brown sitting, he was replaced immediately by Tatum, and was replaced by Scheierman in the second-half starters. Only time will tell how this match turns out for the Celtics.

Celtics Leaning on Jaylen Brown, Depth While Jayson Tatum Adjusts to Minutes Restriction

The Celtics have entered tonight’s matchup in San Antonio on a two-game winning streak following an eleven-point win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Jaylen Brown was the leader on the floor with a near-triple-double, and Jayson Tatum added 20 points. Despite time back on the floor, however, Tatum admitted that operating on a minutes restriction has been rough.

“That s— sucks, quite frankly,” Tatum said while discussing the limitation. “(Sunday’s game) felt a little more normal from a preparation standpoint and mentally. I’m getting back in the flow of things.”

The Celtics have also relied heavily on their bench to back up Brown over this stretch, with bench guards Payton Pritchard and Baylor Scheierman combining for 34 points, 13 rebounds, and seven assists against the Cavs.

More than the offense, the defense has been the backbone of Boston’s success this season. The Celtics allow the least points per game of any team in the league at 106.9 per game, and against the Spurs, and later, the Oklahoma City Thunder, The team will be heavily reliant on Brown to carry the offense, and their depth to work hard on defense to grind out some wins.

Expect Jaylen Brown to speak out on this ejection, as he has on various team issues this season.