Sports
Paul George torches his old team for 36 as the Celtics rout Jaylen Brown and the 76ers 123-101
Paul George hit six 3-pointers against his former team and Jayson Tatum added 21 as Boston won the first meeting since the Jaylen Brown trade.
The night was billed as Jayson Tatum against Jaylen Brown. Paul George stole it.
George scored 36 points in his return to Philadelphia as the Boston Celtics routed the 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday night. It was the first meeting between the teams since Boston traded Brown to the Sixers in July for George and draft picks.
George made 14 of 22 shots, including six of 11 from 3-point range. Tatum added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
A cold shoulder before tipoff
The tension showed before the ball went up. Tatum walked over to dap up his longtime teammate, but Brown kept spinning the ball and never looked his way. Tatum moved on and hugged LeBron James instead.
"There's nothing to talk about," Brown had said Sunday. "He's on his side; I'm on my side. Both of us are trying to win."
Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, got into early foul trouble and finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four turnovers in 26 minutes. Philadelphia was outscored by 27 points while he was on the floor.
Boston pulls away
The Celtics led 30-23 after one quarter with Tatum scoring 11 early points. Philadelphia fought back to tie it at 76 in the third quarter before Boston's shooters took over.
The Celtics hit 22 of 49 from deep and led by as many as 29. Payton Pritchard scored 18 off the bench and Sam Hauser added 12.
Tatum also gave the crowd a flashback in the third quarter. He split a double-team and threw down a one-handed dunk over James, much like his famous slam over James as a rookie in the 2018 Eastern Conference finals.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 24 points. Anfernee Simons had 17 off the bench and Joel Embiid scored 16. James finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
A new leader in the East
Boston improved to 9-2 and passed Philadelphia for the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Sixers fell to 9-3.
George, 36, spent two injury-filled seasons in Philadelphia after signing a four-year deal in 2024. At shootaround he played down the homecoming, saying he was only there for two years. His shooting said otherwise.
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