Paul George drops 36 points in Philly return as Tatum and Celtics rout Jaylen Brown and 76ers 123 to 101
Paul George drained six 3 pointers on his way to 36 points against his former team and Jayson Tatum added 21 as the Boston Celtics rolled past Jaylen Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers 123 to 101 for their ninth win in 10 games.
All week, basketball fans circled Boston’s trip to Philadelphia as the first head-to-head collision between longtime championship running mates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown since the blockbuster summer trade that broke up their partnership — yet it was the other half of that offseason swap, veteran forward Paul George, who turned his return to South Philadelphia into a 36-point clinic as the Celtics routed the 76ers 123–101.
Shooting a blistering 14-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-11 from three-point range in just 30 minutes of action, George relished every chorus of boos from the Philadelphia crowd where he spent the previous two seasons, burying a dagger fourth triple to stretch Boston’s lead to 100–82 on the way to the Celtics’ ninth victory in 10 games.
Boston buried 22 of 49 attempts from beyond the arc (44.9 percent) and dished 28 team assists while committing just eight turnovers, cementing its status as the early NBA Cup betting favorite in an Eastern Conference race mirroring Golden State’s surging early-season run out West.
Frosty pregame moment sets tone in first Tatum vs. Brown matchup
Before tipoff, cameras captured the unmistakable chill lingering from Boston’s summer roster shakeup. When Tatum approached Brown near midcourt to offer a pregame shoulder tap and chest bump — moments after sharing a warm embrace with LeBron James — Brown appeared to look past his former co-star without returning the greeting.
Once play began, foul trouble quickly derailed Brown’s night against his former club. Whistled for two quick fouls in the opening quarter and his fourth early in the third period, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP finished with just 13 points and four turnovers as Philadelphia shot 11-of-37 (29.7 percent) from deep despite 24 points from guard Tyrese Maxey.
Tatum posted a composed 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists with zero personal fouls in 32 minutes, brushing aside questions afterward about the pregame snub.
“No headlines about anything like that,” Tatum told reporters. “I was just getting ready for the game, ready for jump ball, go out there, compete, have some fun and try to get a win.”
Brown likewise downplayed the pregame clip while tipping his cap to Boston’s execution: “I’m just focused on doing what’s best for my team. Everything else was just, to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention, but credit to Jayson; he played well tonight.”
Lillard sparks Blazers blowout of Thunder as Knicks deepen Bucks slide
Across the rest of the NBA slate, Portland delivered the night’s biggest upset in the Western Conference as Damian Lillard poured in 25 points to power a third-quarter avalanche, lifting the Trail Blazers past Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26 points) and the Oklahoma City Thunder 123–103 to snap OKC’s four-game winning streak.
In New York, Jalen Brunson scored 23 points and Karl-Anthony Towns notched a 21-point, 16-rebound double-double to propel the Knicks to their fourth consecutive win in a 117–85 rout of Milwaukee — sending the reeling Bucks to their seventh straight loss and a 1–10 record. Meanwhile in Miami, Giannis Antetokounmpo tallied 30 points and 11 rebounds to carry the Heat past the Utah Jazz 115–109, extending Utah’s losing skid to nine games.