Jaylen Brown came out swinging with a pregame dismissal on Tuesday night. However, it was Jayson Tatum, Paul George, and the Boston Celtics who ultimately triumphed in a commanding 123-101 victory over Brown’s Philadelphia 76ers.
This game was highly anticipated as it marked the first encounter between Tatum and Brown since their much-discussed separation as teammates on the Celtics. Both players contributed to Boston’s NBA championship run, but they are now starting anew as adversaries following Brown’s offseason trade to the 76ers.
Tatum outperformed Brown in the dominating victory, scoring 21 points, alongside 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks. Brown struggled early due to foul trouble, picking up three fouls in the first half and had difficulty finding his rhythm. He ended the night with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 turnovers.
The spotlight ultimately fell on George, who delivered a standout performance against his former team. He was part of the trade package from Philadelphia to the Celtics to secure Brown. George sizzled on the court, finishing as the top scorer with 36 points and five rebounds, boasting an impressive shooting line of 14 of 22 from the field and 6 of 11 from beyond the arc.
Brown opens with pregame snub of Tatum
Tension was palpable from the start, as Brown visibly dismissed Tatum in front of over 20,000 fans in Philadelphia and a national television audience. Prior to the much-anticipated showdown between the 76ers and Celtics, Brown expressed that he had no intention of engaging with Tatum.
True to his word, Brown maintained his stance.
As the players took the court for warm-ups, Tatum approached Brown hoping to exchange some camaraderie. However, while Brown was busy showing off his ball-handling skills, he ignored Tatum’s attempt entirely.
Tatum then turned his attention to Brown’s teammate, LeBron James, who graciously engaged with Tatum before shifting focus to the competitive nature of the game.
The moment was undoubtedly awkward, leaving Tatum standing at midcourt next to Brown like someone left hanging.
Fortunately, the ball was tipped, easing the pregame atmosphere. Post-game, Brown informed the media that he was merely concentrating on his game and not aiming to disregard Tatum, as reported by ESPN’s Kris Rhim:
“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team. Everything else was just — to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson, he played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics, they executed, shot the hell out of the ball. They were the better team tonight.”
Tatum, Celtics take, keep control
As the game unfolded, Tatum was the first to make an impact. In their initial face-off of the game, Brown attempted to size up Tatum from the wing outside the 3-point line. Tatum was quick to respond, effectively stealing the ball from Brown, forcing a turnover as it went out of bounds.
Tatum proceeded to rack up 11 points in the first quarter, helping the Celtics to a 30-23 lead by the end of the period.
Tatum dunks on LeBron
Throughout the game, Tatum and Brown frequently found themselves guarding one another. However, Tatum made a memorable impact with a spectacular dunk over James in the second half, even as the 76ers tried to rebound from a 13-point third-quarter deficit.
The 76ers managed to tie the game at 76. Yet, Boston’s sharp 3-point shooting, led by George, helped extend their lead to as much as 25 points in the final stretch.
The Celtics recorded 50.5% shooting from the field and 44.9% (22 of 45) from 3, while limiting the 76ers to 41.8% shooting and 29.7% from distance (11 of 37).
Tyrese Maxey topped the scoring for the 76ers with 24 points. James contributed with 11 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists, but struggled from 3-point range with a 1 of 6 performance. Joel Embiid finished with 16 points and 6 rebounds, hitting 2 of 9 from the field.
The final score was a decisive victory for the Celtics (9-2), allowing them to surpass the 76ers (9-3) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
No postgame interaction between Tatum, Brown
Once the game concluded, Brown embraced several of his former Celtics teammates but walked off the court without acknowledging Tatum, who was engaged in a postgame interview with NBC.
Tatum, in turn, avoided mentioning Brown in his interview, opting to minimize the significance of Tuesday’s game.
“They all count as one,” Tatum stated regarding the game results. “No game is bigger than the other, definitely in the regular season. It’s one game. It’s one game. The hoopla is definitely over, and we get ready for tomorrow.”
How much bad blood is there really?
With the conversations leading up to Tuesday’s matchup, Brown’s chilly behavior towards Tatum was anticipated.
Tatum has attempted to downplay any tension with his former All-NBA counterpart.
“There’s no animosity, there’s no beef,” Tatum commented previously about his connection with Brown.
Conversely, Brown, who openly voiced several grievances before being traded by the Celtics in the offseason, appears to harbor some issue. Or as he prefers to call it, lamb chops.
“There’s no beef, but there might be a little lamb chops and gravy,” Brown remarked previously on his rapport with Tatum.
Brown reiterated on Sunday that he had no desire to engage with Tatum.
“I mean, he’s on his side, I’m on my side,” Brown explained, per ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “Just playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win, so nothing to talk about. Just check the ball up.”
Indeed, they checked the ball up — but this time it favored Tatum and the Celtics.
