Paul George, Celtics Overpower Sixers Amid Jaylen Brown’s Revenge Tour
Nov 10, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown (7) and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) go for the ball during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
The storylines going into the 76ers and Boston Celtics’ first matchup of the season made it maybe the most highly anticipated matchup in the NBA so far. The 76ers were welcoming back Paul George to South Philadelphia after his two seasons with the team, and the Jaylen Brown–Jayson Tatum brotherly love-turned-rivalry was going to have its first page written. Not only that, it was the No. 1-seeded Sixers against the No. 2-seeded Celtics.
It could not have gone any worse for the Sixers.
George exploded for 36 points in an absolute shooting barrage. His shooting and the completeness of the Celtics squad proved to be too much for the Sixers to handle, with Boston coming out on top 123-101.
The Sixers drop to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and are now sitting at 9-3 and 1-2 in their past three games. Boston jumps to the top seed in the East, improving to 9-2 on a four-game win streak.
George was the story of the night, despite all the lights being shone on Brown and Tatum. The lack of coverage on George’s return to his former team potentially allowed him to just go out there and play basketball comfortably, with the 37-year-old shooting 14-for-22 from the field. George was on fire throughout the game, with the Sixers seemingly giving up on trying to defend him as they tried to contain the other weapons that Boston had out there.
George, whose role is mainly to be the stress-alleviator for Tatum on the court, took over for Tatum Tuesday night. However, Tatum still had an excellent game. He had an all-around efficient performance in Philadelphia, scoring 21 points on 3-for-7 shooting from beyond the arc, with six rebounds and four assists. Tatum also had two blocks on the defensive end, making an impact on both sides.
For Brown, on the other hand, things did not go anywhere near as well. Brown got into foul trouble early and never seemed to be able to snap out of it. He finished the game with just 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, turning the ball over four times as well, finishing -27.
It almost seemed like Brown was losing his mojo and confidence as the game went on, losing that drive he had to beat his former team. Defensively, he had two steals and a block, making a pretty nice impact on that side of the floor. But with just five rebounds and two assists to go along with his 13 points, Brown just never could get on track Tuesday night.
The only player for the Sixers who could get anything going was Tyrese Maxey, and even he was four points below his average for the season. LeBron James and Joel Embiid dealt with some injury scares in the game, James with his eye and Embiid with his knee, which may have played a role in the lack of their overall performance. James scored just 11 points, but was able to snag eight boards. Embiid scored just 16 points and hauled in just six rebounds, lower than his season average in both aspects. Embiid also made his first three-pointer in 22 attempts to open the second half.
The Sixers will move forward after a lamentable loss with a matchup back at home Thursday against the Toronto Raptors.
Evan Hartenstein
Evan has been a member of the Philly Sports Reports team since March 2023. He is covering the 76ers and wants to pursue a long-lasting career in Sports Journalism.
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