Everyone came to watch Tatum against Brown, yet it was Paul George who stole the show on Tuesday, dropping 36 on the city he used to call home while Boston cruised to a 123-101 road win.
The summer trade that sent George to Boston and Brown to Philadelphia made this one of the early-season games to watch, with Tatum and Brown meeting as opponents for the first time. Things looked frosty before tip-off, Brown barely returning Tatum’s greeting, and they did not warm up for him: he ended up with 13 points and coughed the ball up four times, more than anyone else. Tatum added 21.
For three quarters it was a contest. Boston were eleven points clear at the break, 62-51, and a Tyrese Maxey three tied the score at 79 late in the third. The Celtics answered with a 12-3 run to close the period, and in the fourth George took over, piling up 14 points in about four minutes as the gap stretched at one stage to 29. He made six of his eleven attempts from deep, part of a 22-three night for Boston, with Payton Pritchard, who scored 18, and Sam Hauser, who had 12, each sinking four.
On the home side only Tyrese Maxey, with 24, really found his range; Embiid managed just two made shots from the floor all night and LeBron James was held to 11. It was the first meeting since the Sixers came back from 3-1 down to knock Boston out of the first round last spring.
Boston has now won nine of eleven, enough to sit first in the East with the Sixers, who have lost three times, right behind.
