The Celtics absolutely mauled the Sixers 123-101 on Tuesday, snatching the top record in the conference and turning Jaylen Brown’s much-hyped “revenge game” into a complete disaster. We heard Brown talk about “lamb chops with some gravy” leading up to this one, hinting at some complicated emotions with Jayson Tatum, but it looked more like Boston ate his lunch, then his dinner, then his breakfast the next day. The hype was real for this matchup between the top two teams in the East, but the outcome? A total blowout that tells us a lot about who’s really running things.
Jaylen Brown’s Revenge Game Nightmare
Brown had bigger things to worry about than Tatum after tipoff. The guy had a rough night, plain and simple, shooting just 4-of-9 from the field for a paltry 13 points. He coughed up the ball four times and was battling foul trouble in the entire first half. Seriously, Brown was a game-worst minus-27 during his 26 minutes on the court. You saw it early, too: Tatum ripped the ball right out of his hands, one of several times Brown looked like he was forcing things big time. It’s clear he still hasn’t quite found his rhythm for the Sixers generally. His scoring is way down from last season as he tries to adjust to playing alongside so many other stars. Yeah, he’s been contributing in other areas like offensive rebounding and defense, but man, he needs more time to figure out his perfect role if the Sixers want to contend. This loss showed some worrying cracks in what had been a pretty good Sixers defense.
Celtics Feast, Tatum Stays Cool
While Brown was overcooking his pork chops, Tatum’s Celtics were feasting. They just demolished the Sixers’ defense, cruising to a convincing win and grabbing that top record in the conference. After the buzzer, Tatum tried to play it cool, insisting that “they all count as one. No game is bigger than another, definitely in the regular season.” And yeah, there’s truth to that, but come on. When you dismantle your closest competition like that, taking over the top spot in the process, it definitely feels bigger than just any old regular season game. This result cemented Boston as the best team in the East early on, showing their dominance.
LeBron James’ Efficiency Plummeting
Completely separate from the East Coast drama, another big story from Tuesday was the continued dip in LeBron James’ game. Last year, the guy was a top-25 player, an All-Star, and the best player in a playoff series for the Lakers. This season? He might make the All-Star team on legacy alone, because his overall efficiency has plummeted. A dip in scoring is understandable with all the offensive talent around him, sure, but his numbers are seriously concerning. On Tuesday, he shot just 4-of-12 from the field and a painful 1-of-6 from deep. He’s only shooting 25 percent from three-point land this season! Even more troubling, his rim finishing, usually a strong suit, is way down to 64 percent. Not counting his rookie year, LeBron has been one of the best around the rim, but this year he ranks in the 34th percentile. He’s botched one or two layups every single game. You have to wonder: how much longer can this go on?
The Celtics are looking unstoppable in the East, which is a huge statement this early in the season. The Sixers have some real questions to answer, especially about how Jaylen Brown fits in and what that means for their defensive struggles. And out West, we’re watching a legend battle time. It’s only early November, but these trends are laying down some serious groundwork for the rest of the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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