‘We’re competing’: Nick Nurse fires back at Jaylen Brown for ‘grown men’ comments on Raptors-Celtics tussle

Samir Mehdi | 10/09/2020
Nick Nurse fires back at Jaylen Brown

Nick Nurse defends himself and his Raptors against Jaylen Brown’s remarks towards them, “Grown men should be able to control themselves.”

In not only one of the best games of the NBA Bubble but of the entirety of the season, the Toronto Raptors held on against the Boston Celtics in a 125-122 double-OT win in Game 6.

With the level of intensity being at an all time high, the game was not without its late in the quarter antics. Most notable was when Raptors Head Coach, Nick Nurse stood awfully close to the sidelines and near Celtics big man, Daniel Theis.

This caused Jayson Tatum to get confused and pass the ball out of bounds, seemingly to Nick Nurse.

Also read: ‘Grown men should control themselves’: Jaylen Brown calls out Nick Nurse and Raptors for post-game tussle

Jaylen Brown did not take this action by Nurse lightly

In his media availability, Jaylen Brown called out Nurse and the Raptors bench for their theatrics saying, “Grown men should be able to control themselves.”

Nick Nurse was told about Brown’s comments in his postgame presser to which Nurse very nonchalantly replied, “No. We’re just competing out there.”

Jayson Tatum made it clear however that he is at fault and should’ve known better.

It is not clear about whether or not the 2020 Coach of the Year candidate stood so close to the sidelines on purpose to puzzle Tatum but what he did sure worked, helping the Raptors gain possession of the ball with less than 1 minute remaining in the ball game.

Are Nick Nurse’s actions justified?

Coaches have been storming onto the court for as long as the NBA has been a professional league. The official NBA Rulebook states that no coach may cross the mid-court line or this will immediately result in a technical foul on the coach.

However, Nurse did not cross the mid-court. What he did however was ever-so-slightly place his foot on the out of bounds line which is quite unprofessional when the game is in play.

Post Edited By: Utkarsh Bhatla
boston celtics Jaylen Brown Nick Nurse Toronto Raptors

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Samir Mehdi

Samir Mehdi is a senior strategist for the NBA division at The Sportsrush. Ever since he was 13 years old, he’s been obsessed with the game of basketball. From watching Kobe Bryant’s highlights on YouTube to now, analyzing and breaking down every single game on League Pass, Samir’s passion for the game is unwavering. He's a complete basketball junkie who not only breaks down current games but also keenly watches ones from the 60s’ and 70s’ while also reading comprehensive books on the history of the league. Samir’s life revolves around basketball and he hopes that shows in his work. Aside from work, he loves to spend time in the gym and with his friends at social gatherings.

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