Paul George Scores [NUM_A] as Celtics Defeat Sixers; Brown Ignored by Tatum

Paul George led his return on Tuesday night, scoring 36 points to guide the Boston Celtics to a win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.

Nevertheless, attention focused on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown facing each other as rivals for the first time since the summer trade, which also included 36-year-old George.

Traded from the Sixers following two seasons in Philadelphia, the nine-time All-Star made six three-pointers to secure Boston’s ninth win in ten games. After making his fourth long-range shot to establish a significant lead, he appeared to flip off a fan near the visiting bench.

“He looked me dead in my eyes, dropped the ball on the ground as if I’m a dog to go fetch or go get it, instead of passing the ball to me like a normal fan would do. So then I rolled him a middle finger in return,” he explained after the game.

Tatum contributed 21 points and outperformed Brown during the game. Both stars had remained quiet before tip-off about their reportedly strained relationship, and the tension was evident immediately.

Prior to the jump ball, the 28-year-old forward attempted to greet his former C’s teammate with a shoulder tap and a chest bump, but was ignored. This silence persisted after the final buzzer, even as Brown conversed with nearly everyone else on Boston’s roster without problem. “To be honest, I wasn’t paying attention,” said the 30-year-old forward afterward.

Foul trouble hindered Brown’s debut against the franchise where he won 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable honors. He picked up two quick fouls in the first quarter and his fourth shortly after halftime.

Boston dominated the game from three-point range, making 22 of 49 attempts from beyond the arc, while Brown finished with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting.