Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics recently battled against the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Victor Wembanyama possibly ending Brown’s MVP case. The Celtics lost both of these matchups while on the road. Brown even earned himself an ejection in the process. Does that effectively snap his chances of becoming the NBA’s 2026 MVP?
Is Jaylen Brown’s MVP Case Over After Celtics’ Road Trip?
The MVP has many factors, and different voters may prioritize those factors differently. Not to mention the NBA installed a 65-game played rule that decides whether or not a player is eligible for any regular-season awards.
Jaylen Brown’s MVP case may be lost with less than a month of basketball before the playoffs begin. However, the 65-game rule could work in Brown’s favor if SGA and Wemby miss a few more games. Brown’s ejection against the San Antonio Spurs and Jayson Tatum‘s return may affect his chances for winning the award as well.
The most recent MVP ladder from NBA.com has Brown listed at 7th. Wemby elevated to second on the list while SGA tops the list and is the favorite to repeat as MVP. Many analysts, commentators, and NBA fans find the ejection to be a ludicrous overreaction and unwarranted. Yet the ejection affects his MVP chances.
First Take analyst Stephen A. Smith went on a tirade over the ejection, calling it “egregious.” He added, “[the referee] is going to eject him from the game and rob us of seeing [Brown] go up against the San Antonio Spurs.” His comments are incredibly pertinent as it was a battle between both conferences’ second seed and two superstars atop the league’s MVP conversations. This is an example of the NBA officiating issues that have been adversely impacting games for years now. The ejection was a clear overreach by the officials.
How Did Brown Fair Against The Top 2 Seeds In The West?
Despite the ejection and the nine-point loss to San Antonio, Brown had a positive plus-minus for the game. He performed very well in the 15 minutes before he was tossed in the second quarter. His eight points on fifty percent shooting were important; however, the seven assists to his teammates are what truly stand out. Although Derrick White had a 34-point performance, it was not enough to overcome Wemby’s talent. Wemby put up 39 points and 11 rebounds with a couple of blocks in the Spurs’ win. This will likely help his MVP case as San Antonio chases Oklahoma City for the top seed in the Western Conference.
The matchup against SGA and the Thunder is a different story. The game came down to the final seconds and nearly went to overtime with a final score of 104-102. Unfortunately, Boston was defeated in this matchup of heavy hitters. Though it should be noted that Tatum did not suit up for this game.
The two previous NBA Finals MVPs put on a show that proves why they are top-tier two-way threats in the league. SGA and Browns statline were each very impressive. Brown dropped 34 points and seven assists to go with two steals and a block. And, he did a great job getting to the free-throw line, converting 13 out of 14 attempts. Although his six turnovers and five personal fouls definitely hinder his case for the MVP, particularly when another potential recipient outperformed him. SGA scored 35 points while only getting to the stripe a few times, converting on seven out of eight attempts. His nine assists, two steals, and three blocks will be used as evidence to give him the edge over Brown and others.
The Last Word
Overall, how did Brown fare against his MVP-level contemporaries? Pretty well, actually. Despite the ejection and increased turnovers, Brown shot the ball well in multiple facets of the game. He also did a tremendous job getting his teammates involved. However, the losses are starting to add up. Plus, SGA and Wemby are not the only players ahead of Brown on the list. Other guys like Cade Cunningham for the Detroit Pistons or Nikola Jokic for the Denver Nuggets are making their case. Even Luka Doncic for the Los Angeles Lakers is pushing his name into consideration over the season’s final month.
This year’s MVP is coming down to the wire for a variety of reasons. Hopefully, the 65-game rule does not disqualify any of these players, and their play can do the talking for them. Brown should be the MVP after considering preseason expectations and where the Celtics are now.
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