The Boston Celtics handled their business in Philadelphia on Tuesday night. The 123-101 win over the Philadelphia 76ers was decisive from the second quarter on, with Paul George pouring in 36 points against his former team and Jayson Tatum adding 21.
The result settled the scoreboard. It did not settle the conversation. The moment that generated the most attention had nothing to do with what happened between the lines.
Before the game, Tatum approached Jaylen Brown and attempted to greet him. Brown did not engage. The interaction was brief, but it was visible, and the clip traveled fast. One prominent voice in the basketball world had a strong reaction to what he saw.
Green Did Not Hold Back
Draymond Green addressed the pregame interaction on his podcast and connected it to what followed on the court.
“When things like that happen and you’re not willing to speak, that says more about you than the other person,” Green said. “Your aura ain’t right, your juju ain’t right, you got your head down and stuff. Then it carried over into the game and so I don’t really love that.”
Green faced both Tatum and Brown in the 2022 NBA Finals and has been outspoken about the dynamic between the two since the trade. He has defended both players at different points. This was not about taking sides. It was about what he believes the approach cost Brown on the court.
Brown finished with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting. He was not bad. But he was not the version of himself that the moment called for, and Green saw the pregame interaction as a factor in why.
The Game Reflected the Dynamic
Tatum outplayed his former teammate. He shot 8-of-17 and controlled the game with 21 points and six assists. George was the headliner with 36, but Tatum set the tone and never looked distracted by the occasion.
Brown had said before the game that the two had not spoken since the trade.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Brown said. “He’s on his side, I’m on my side. We’re playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win. Check the ball up.”
After the game, Brown credited Tatum for his performance, while acknowledging he did not have his best game.
Final Word for the Celtics
The two teams meet again on January 21 in Boston, and the atmosphere at TD Garden will be even more charged.
The Celtics left Philadelphia with a 22-point win and kept rolling with a comeback victory in Toronto the next night. The road trip ended 4-0. They face Dallas next.
Draymond Green Gives Blunt Jaylen Brown Verdict After Celtics Reunion