Celtics defeat 76ers 123-101 as Tatum shines and Brown struggles
Boston beat Philadelphia 123-101, with Jayson Tatum scoring 21 points and Paul George adding 36 for the Celtics, while Jaylen Brown was limited to 13 points for the Sixers.
The Boston Celtics routed the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, extending their lead in the Eastern Conference. Jayson Tatum led Boston with 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks, and also delivered a dunk on LeBron James. Paul George, playing his first game against his former team, contributed a season-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including six of 11 from three-point range.
Jaylen Brown, who was traded to Philadelphia earlier in the season, managed only 13 points, four turnovers and spent significant time in foul trouble. After the game he said, "> I'm a bit frustrated, honestly. 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."
Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse noted the matchup had been anticipated since the offseason, saying, "> This is probably one -- maybe the one -- that people were circling in the summertime when the schedule came out."
Boston’s success was driven by its three-point shooting, as the Celtics made 22 of 49 attempts (45%) compared with Philadelphia’s 11 of 37 (30%). The win moved Boston into first place in the Eastern Conference.
The game also featured a tense pre-game narrative surrounding the former Celtics teammates. Brown dismissed the idea of a pre-game conversation, stating, "> 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."
Overall, the Celtics’ execution and shooting depth proved decisive, while the Sixers struggled to contain Boston’s perimeter attack.