Table of Content
The Boston Celtics powered past the Philadelphia 76ers with a 123-101 blowout victory on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The win pushed Boston ahead of Philadelphia into first place in the Eastern Conference standings during the first meeting between the teams this season.
The matchup carried significant anticipation following the offseason trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George. Prior to tip-off, 76ers head coach Nick Nurse noted the heavy interest surrounding the game, stating, “This is probably one — maybe the one — that people were circling in the summertime when the schedule came out.”
Tatum and George Lead Boston Past 76ers
Jayson Tatum delivered a strong performance for Boston, finishing with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Tatum set an early tone by winning defensive matchups against Brown and highlighting his night with a dunk over LeBron James.
Meanwhile, George posted the game’s dominant performance against his former team. George scored 36 points, shooting 14-of-22 from the field and connecting on 6-of-11 attempts from 3-point range. He was acquired by Boston in the deal that sent Brown to Philadelphia after spending two seasons with the 76ers. Following an interaction with a spectator during the game, George explained that a fan “dropped the ball on the ground like I’m a dog to go fetch or go get it instead of passing the ball to me like a normal fan,” adding that he “rolled him a middle finger” in response.
Boston’s perimeter shooting proved to be a decisive factor in the victory. The Celtics converted 45% of their 3-point attempts, going 22-for-49 from beyond the arc. In contrast, Philadelphia struggled from distance, shooting 30% on 11-of-37 attempts.
Brown Struggles in Return Against Former Team
Brown endured a difficult night in his first game against his former franchise. He was limited to a season-low 13 points, recorded four turnovers, faced foul trouble, and finished with a game-worst minus-27 rating.
“I’m a bit frustrated, honestly,” Brown said after the game. “I wanted to perform better for my team. Foul trouble kind of derailed me a little bit, but it happens. It’s unfortunate, but now we got to just move on to the next.”
Before the game, Brown dismissed questions about speaking with Tatum beforehand, saying, “There’s nothing to talk about. He’s on his side, I’m on my side. We’re playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win. So there’s nothing to talk about. Check the ball up.”
Pregame Tension and Off-Court Reports
Tension between the former teammates was visible on the court prior to tip-off when Tatum attempted to greet Brown, who turned away without acknowledging him before Tatum shared a pregame handshake with James. Addressing the interaction, Brown stated he “wasn’t paying attention” to the moment.
“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,” Brown said. “Credit to Jayson, he played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics, they executed, they shot the hell out of the ball and were the better team tonight.”
Philadelphia guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope highlighted the public friction between the stars, referencing a social media comment Brown left on an interview Tatum gave regarding the trade. “I don’t know what the tension was before JB left,” Caldwell-Pope said. “All I know is when he wrote on the comments when JT did that little interview, that’s all I know. That’s all I need to know.”
Nurse downplayed the personal aspect of the game for Brown before the start, saying, “He’s approaching it as another game. Big game. He’s excited for the opportunity, but he wasn’t expressing it in a personal way. He said this is a really good test for our team, and I agree with him.” During shootaround, Boston’s sound system played “Why Can’t We Be Friends.”
Ahead of the game, ESPN reported that Tatum and Brown had held a conversation in France prior to the trade. Former NBA player Evan Turner disputed the report on social media, claiming the meeting did not occur, while Carmelo Anthony noted that the atmosphere surrounding both players while in France had felt unusual.
