Jaylen Brown offers Jayson Tatum the chilly shoulder. Tatum will get scorching hand in Celtics’ win over 76ers – Boston Information, Climate, Sports activities

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Jayson Tatum dapped up Jaylen Brown with a pleasant faucet on the shoulder and thump on the chest which his former Boston teammate ignored.

Brown gave him a chilly shoulder. Tatum received the recent hand.

Brown ignored Tatum’s temporary present of affection, maybe a becoming illustration of a frosty relationship that has included radio silence between the 2 All-Stars since Brown was traded in the summertime to the Sixers.

“No headlines about something like that,” Tatum stated. “I used to be simply preparing for the sport. Prepared for leap ball. Go on the market and compete and have some enjoyable and attempt to get the win.”

Tatum scored 21 factors and outplayed Brown, and Paul George reminded followers he was in that blockbuster commerce with six 3-pointers for 36 factors in his return to Philadelphia, main the Celtics previous the 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday night time.

PG flashed a reminder — each together with his recreation and a center finger — that he can nonetheless throw it again to his All-Star prime.

He scored 14 straight factors within the fourth quarter and made six of Boston’s 22 3-pointers. George flipped off a Sixers fan in a bowling movement after he sank his fourth 3 of the sport for a 100-82 lead that pushed the Celtics to their ninth win in 10 video games.

“There was a fan being a (jerk),” George stated. “Ball rolled to him. He regarded me useless in my eyes. Dropped the ball on the bottom as if I’m a canine to go fetch or received get it as a substitute of passing the ball to me like a standard fan would do. So I rolled him a center finger in return.”

The Celtics had all of the enjoyable on this one.

Tatum shook arms and exchanged an enormous hug with LeBron James. Tatum later dunked over James and seemingly received the final chuckle within the first matchup this season between the 2 high groups within the East.

Brown and Tatum saved their distance throughout pregame warmups forward of Tuesday’s recreation when the Celtics performed Philadelphia for the primary time because the summer time commerce that noticed Brown surprisingly swap sides.

Brown hit some jumpers on the Sixers’ finish of the courtroom. Tatum warmed up on his aspect together with his Celtics teammates.

Neither All-Star determined to shoot his shot with the opposite.

Brown was traded with draft picks to the rival 76ers in July for George.

Brown bumped into early foul hassle and scored solely 13 factors in his first recreation towards Boston because the 2024 NBA Finals MVP was traded. He picked up two fast fouls within the first quarter and was whistled for his fourth early within the second half.

Brown declined to get into his Tatum brush off.

“I’m simply centered on doing what’s greatest for my crew,” Brown stated. “All the things else was simply, to be sincere, I wasn’t paying consideration.”

Brown received the higher of Tatum early when he picked off his outdated teammate’s cross and fed the ball to Tyrese Maxey for a 3-pointer.

Brown stated final month there was “ no beef ” between himself and Tatum, even because the dissection over the tip of their relationship had dragged into the season.

The commerce has been successful for each groups. The 76ers, with Brown and James aboard, are 9-3 and the Celtics now have the most effective document within the East at 9-2.

Joe Mazzulla coached each gamers when the Celtics gained the 2024 NBA championship. He was able to put the circus that enveloped behind him and proud that Tatum by no means needed to eat crow — or any lamb chops.

“They’re simply phrases,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s not like his life’s threatened. There’s no weapons. There’s nobody throwing something at him. Nobody’s attacking him. It’s probably not that huge of a deal.”

Brown was a five-time All-Star and wound up with career-best averages of 28.7 factors, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists final season whereas Tatum missed most of final season whereas recovering from an Achilles tendon tear that occurred throughout the 2025 playoffs.

With each gamers wholesome and commanding hefty salaries that will ultimately account for roughly 70% of Boston’s wage cap, the franchise confronted a troublesome resolution about which participant to maintain. Boston selected Tatum.

The Sixers have been blissful to half with the 36-year-old George.

George shone in Philly on Tuesday after two flat seasons with the Sixers. George was poised to affix Joel Embiid and Maxey to type a Philly Massive Three when he left the Clippers and signed a four-year, $212 million free-agent contract forward of the 2024 season.

George as a substitute was ravaged by knee and adductor accidents — amongst others — that robbed the nine-time All-Star of his full potential that he flashed in his three earlier NBA stops. He was suspended 25 video games final season for violating the phrases of the NBA’s anti-drug program.

George — whose 20.4 factors getting into the sport is larger than both of his two seasons in Philadelphia — merely joined a listing that included Jimmy Butler and James Harden of All-Star employed weapons that didn’t win a title with the Sixers.

Give this one to George and Tatum.

Let’s do it once more Jan. 21 in Boston.

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