Tatum greets former teammate Jaylen Brown coldly as Celtics beat 76ers 123-101 in Philadelphia
Jayson Tatum appeared to deliver a frosty pregame greeting to his former teammate Jaylen Brown as the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. Tatum scored 21 points, Paul George had 36 in his return to Philadelphia, and Brown finished with 13 points.
The matchup drew attention because of the strained relationship between Tatum and Brown, a former long-time duo who won an NBA championship together in Boston. Brown’s first game against Boston followed his summer move to the 76ers and a period in which both players declined to discuss their relationship publicly. Brown said last month there was “no beef ” between himself and Tatum and added, “There might be a little lamb chops and some gravy,” in response to a social media post, adding, “He should stay ready at all times.” The head-to-head meeting was one of the more anticipated early-season matchups.
Before the opening tip Tatum reached toward Brown with what was described as a tap on the shoulder and a thump on the chest, gestures Brown ignored, and Tatum later shook hands and exchanged a big hug with LeBron James. After the game Tatum offered only one comment about the interaction: “No headlines about anything like that,” he said. “I was just getting ready for the game, ready for jump ball, go out there, compete, have some fun and try to get a win.” Brown likewise kept his remarks brief: “I’m just focused on doing what’s best for my team,” Brown said. “Everything else was just, to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention, but credit to Jayson; he played well tonight.”
On the court, Tatum’s 21 points were enough to outscore his former teammate’s 13, as Brown ran into early foul trouble and committed four turnovers. Paul George, in his homecoming to Philadelphia, scored 36 points and celebrated after his fourth three-pointer with an apparent finger gesture in a bowling motion near the visitor’s bench; that basket made it 100-82 and helped push the Celtics to their ninth win in 10 games. The game was streamed on Peacock, and the network promoted the matchup on social media with the post: “Jaylen Brown v Jayson Tatum. For the first time ever ”.
The Sixers avoided a more serious scare when Joel Embiid landed awkwardly and hit the court on a missed layup attempt; he curled up on the floor while VJ Edgecombe dunked over him. Embiid then gingerly ran back down the court and hunched over as the half-time horn sounded with the Celtics leading 62-51. The article noted Embiid’s health has been a career-long issue and that the 76ers have declined to play him in back-to-back games.
The report also recorded Embiid’s shooting struggles this season, noting the two-time NBA scoring champion has slumped with his shot and citing last Friday in Cleveland as an example when he missed all nine shots from the floor and scored only two points. Despite Tuesday’s loss, the 76ers are 9-3 and sit second in the Eastern Conference behind the 9-2 Celtics.