Updated Jan. 29, 2026, 8:03 p.m. ET
The Boston Celtics fell to the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, January 28. Joe Mazzulla’s team struggled to generate offense on the perimeter, hitting just 9-of-34 of their attempts from deep. However, it was an accidental elbow that made the most headlines, as Brown left Onyeka Okongwu bloodied and missing a tooth.
During his postgame news conference, Jaylen Brown addressed the incident involving Okongwu, reiterating the accidental nature of the elbow, while sympathizing with the dental work it will take to fix the damage the incident caused.
“Just being aggressive like I always am,” Brown said. “Just a basketball play, it’s unfortunate. Okongwu is a good player, and I know from my own experiences with a fractured face and chipped teeth — that (expletive) is a hassle. It wasn’t intentional, and I know it’s going to be a long day at the dentist for him, so hopefully he has a good recovery.”
Interestingly, Okongwu has been floated as a potential trade target for the Celtics. Should Brad Stevens firm up his rumored interest, we can only hope that there’s no bad blood between Brown and Okongwu. Accidents happen, especially when both teams are playing hard and fighting for a win.
Following the loss to Atlanta, the Celtics are now 5-5 in their last 10 games. The grind of the season is starting to slow them down, and the All-Star break can’t come soon enough.
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Nevertheless, Boston will need to find a reserve of energy if it’s to continue pushing for a high seed in the Eastern Conference. Wednesday’s loss saw the New York Knicks draw level with the Celtics for the second seed.
Boston will be back in action on Friday, Jan. 30, when it faces the 12-36 Sacramento Kings at the TD Garden.
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