Celtics Beat Sixers 123-101 to Take East Lead
Boston defeated Philadelphia 123-101 in a matchup between the Eastern Conference’s top teams, moving ahead of the 76ers. Jayson Tatum scored 21 points, while Paul George led the Celtics with 36. Jaylen Brown, facing his former team in the regular season for the first time, finished with 13 points.
The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday, moving to the top of the NBA Eastern Conference as Paul George scored 36 points.
Jayson Tatum added 21 points and Jaylen Brown scored 13 in his first regular-season game against Boston since leaving the team for Philadelphia this summer.
The Celtics improved to 9-2 with their fourth straight win. Philadelphia fell to 9-3.
Brown’s return drew attention amid public reports of friction with Tatum, his former teammate on Boston’s 2024 championship team. The two had exchanged cryptic public remarks over Tatum’s knowledge of, or role in, Brown’s trade, the report said.
Tatum greeted Brown before tip-off, but Brown appeared not to respond. The game opened with Brown making two steals and committing two fouls in the first minutes.
Philadelphia’s crowd booed Tatum, including after he misplaced a pass under pressure from VJ Edgecombe.
George, who moved from Philadelphia to Boston as part of the Brown trade, led the scoring with 36 points, including six three-pointers on 11 attempts.
“No game is bigger than the other, definitely in the regular season, you know -- it's one game,” Tatum said. “The hoopla is over, and now we get all ready for tomorrow.”
Philadelphia rallied in the third quarter, tying the score at 76-76 and then 79-79 on a three-pointer by Maxey. Boston pulled away late.
George said Tatum’s presence opened scoring chances for him. “Obviously JT demands so much attention. Playing off him has allowed me to get a lot of easy opportunities,” he said.
“At this point in my career, there's only one thing that I want to do, and that's win,” George said. “I'm here to help you. I'm in a way here to serve you, make you become the best player that you can become.”
In another Tuesday game, the defending champion New York Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks 117-85. Jalen Brunson scored 23 points, while Karl-Anthony Towns had 21 points and 16 rebounds.
Milwaukee dropped to 1-10 after losing Giannis Antetokounmpo this summer. Antetokounmpo moved to the Miami Heat, while Brown ended up in Philadelphia after Boston initially tried to trade him for Antetokounmpo.
