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By Bryan Colbert Jr.
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Jaylen Brown said he was focused on his new team when he appeared to ignore Jayson Tatum before Tuesday’s game against Boston.
By the end of the night, the Philadelphia 76ers forward had another uncomfortable subject to address: a 123-101 loss in his first matchup against his former team.
The pregame interaction quickly drew attention as Tatum reached toward Brown in an apparent attempt to greet him. Brown offered little acknowledgment, adding another moment to a reunion already surrounded by questions about their relationship following his offseason trade.
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Asked afterward about the exchange, Brown downplayed its significance.
“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team,” Brown said in comments shared by ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “To be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson, he played well tonight.”
Tatum finished with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting. Brown scored 13 on 4-of-9 shooting, while Paul George, acquired by Boston in the Brown trade, delivered the biggest performance of the night.
George scored 36 points against his former team, making 14 of 22 shots and six of 11 attempts from beyond the arc. Boston improved to 9-2 and moved ahead of Philadelphia, which fell to 9-3, for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Brown’s explanation centered on his performance rather than any personal tension. He denied that his emotions had affected his play and pointed instead to foul trouble disrupting his rhythm. He finished with a game-worst minus-27, a measure of Philadelphia’s scoring margin during his minutes on the floor.
The anticipation surrounding the matchup had been building before either player stepped onto the court.
Brown had said Sunday that there was little to discuss with Tatum now that they were competing for different teams.
“Both of us are trying to win, so nothing to talk about. Just check the ball up,” Brown said.
Tatum also declined to turn the pregame encounter into a bigger issue afterward.
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“No headlines about anything like that,” Tatum said, explaining that he was preparing to compete and help Boston win.
The result gave the Celtics more than bragging rights in an emotionally charged matchup. George’s scoring and Tatum’s production helped Boston take control of the conference standings while handing Philadelphia a decisive home defeat.
Brown gave his former teammate credit afterward. The harder task now is helping the Sixers produce a different result.
Their first meeting with Boston ended with the Celtics leaving Philadelphia with both the victory and the better record.
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