The most anticipated game of this young regular season just went down, and if you are a Sixers fan, you probably wanna forget it. Jaylen Brown finally faced Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics after a summer of thinly veiled barbs, and let’s just say, it did not go Philly’s way. Brown played a mere 25 minutes, racked up 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, had five boards, two assists, and four turnovers. The Sixers lost 123-101. But the real kick in the teeth? Paul George, the guy Philly traded *for* Brown, absolutely torched them with a game-high 36 points for Boston.
Foul Trouble, Double Teams, and a Celtics Onslaught
Brown’s rough night started early and never really let up. He battled foul trouble from the jump, which kept him on the bench for extended stretches and limited him to those 25 minutes. Coach Nick Nurse confirmed it was tough for Brown to ever get into a rhythm, especially with an early foul in the second half. This meant he had “no chance to get going and made it tough,” according to Nurse. Brown himself admitted he was “a bit frustrated, honestly. I wanted to perform better for my team. Foul trouble kind of derailed me a little bit, but it happens. It’s unfortunate, but now we got to just move on to the next game.”
He was ready to take his medicine, saying multiple times that the Celtics simply outplayed and out-executed the Sixers. He pointed out Boston’s defensive game plan, noting he got double-teamed on every drive. Nurse agreed, saying the Celtics did “a pretty good job of swarming him and sending multiple defenders.” The Sixers trailed most of the night, and while they managed to tie the game at 76 late in the third quarter, the Celtics then exploded, outscoring them 47-25 over the final 16 minutes. That’s a gut punch no team wants to take.
The Cold Shoulder and the Cold Shooters
Beyond Brown’s individual struggles and the team’s collapse on the scoreboard, the tension between Brown and Tatum was palpable, even if brief. Right before tip-off, Tatum went over to dap-up Brown and a couple of other Sixers, but Brown completely no-sold the gesture. When asked about it, Brown downplayed it, saying, “I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team. Everything else was just, to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. Credit to Jayson, he played.”
Meanwhile, the Sixers’ offense, even when generating good shots against Boston’s swarming defense, just couldn’t convert. They struggled mightily from beyond the arc, making only 29% of their 37 three-point attempts. You can’t win big games, especially a nationally televised one against a rival, with that kind of shooting. This game is behind them now, but the sting of the blowout, Brown’s performance, and especially Paul George’s massive night, will undoubtedly linger as they prepare to move on to their next challenge.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Liberty Ballers.
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