Paul George Scores 36 as Celtics Beat Brown's New Team 123-101

Paul George scored 36 points as the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday night. It was the first time Jaylen Brown faced his old team since the summer trade that sent him to Philadelphia.

Brown's return did not start quietly. Before the opening tip, The Guardian reported, Jayson Tatum tried to greet his former Boston teammate with a tap on the shoulder and a thump on the chest. Brown ignored it.

The two had good reason to share a moment. Brown was the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, the player voted the most valuable of the championship series, and he and Tatum won that title together in Boston. Now they were on opposite benches, and the court did most of the talking.

Boston led 62-51 at halftime. The Celtics kept the margin in the second half and finished with a 22-point win. George was the night's biggest scorer with 36 points. Tatum added 21 for Boston.

Brown had a harder evening. He scored 13 points and committed four turnovers, giving the ball away on a night when the Sixers needed him to keep possessions alive.

George's line stood out for a reason beyond the scoreboard. He spent two seasons with the 76ers before he was traded to Boston in the deal that sent Brown to Philadelphia. On Tuesday, the player who left Philadelphia in that swap was the one doing the damage.

For Philadelphia, the loss is one more early-season test of a roster still learning how its pieces fit. For Boston, it was a clean road win over a team it had just reshaped its own roster to beat. Neither result settles much after a single game in November. But the Celtics controlled the scoreboard from the first half on, and that is the kind of result that gets noticed.

Both teams have a long season ahead, and this game will be a footnote in the standings. For the fans who sat through the handshake that never happened, it will be the one they remember.