Jaylen Brown offered a frosty pregame reception and zero words to Jayson Tatum on Tuesday before the Boston Celtics rolled to a 123-101 blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
The matchup marked the first time the former longtime Celtics teammates faced each other since Brown was traded to Philadelphia in July in exchange for George and four draft picks. The trade sparked a tense European dinner table confrontation last June between Brown and Tatum.
Tatum attempted to dap up Brown moments before the opening tip, but the 76ers forward ignored the gesture while spinning a basketball. Brown previously downplayed any friction with his former co-star, telling reporters last month, “There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.”
"There's no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.” — Jaylen Brown on Jayson Tatum (h/t @ohnohedidnt24) pic.twitter.com/PksOP88hFS
“He’s on his side; I’m on my side.” “Both of us are trying to win.” “Nothing to talk about.”
Once the game began, Tatum quickly took control against his former teammate. Tatum finished with 21 points and six rebounds in 32 minutes, outplaying Brown, who ran into early foul trouble and scored only 13 points.
Jayson Tatum on the Jaylen Brown trade in a recent interview: "I was just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world." Jaylen Brown in the comments: 🧢 pic.twitter.com/dia6lscJ2E
George paced Boston’s perimeter attack against his former franchise, while Tyrese Maxey led Philadelphia with 24 points.
The runaway victory improved the Celtics’ record to 9-2, pushing them past the 9-3 76ers for the best record in the Eastern Conference. When the final buzzer sounded, Brown hugged several of his former Boston teammates but left the floor without acknowledging Tatum.
Jaylen Brown on Jayson Tatum's comment last night: "There's no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times" pic.twitter.com/mT8QbJRQFZ
Brown spoke with reporters after the contest to address his pregame demeanor and the debate about his departure from Boston. “I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team,” Brown said in comments reported by ESPN’s Kris Rhim. “Everything else was just — to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson, he played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics, they executed, shot the hell out of the ball.”
The decisive outcome was largely powered by Boston’s perimeter shooting. The visiting squad connected on 50.5% of their total field goals and converted 44.9% from beyond the arc by sinking 22 of 45 attempts from long distance.
In contrast, Philadelphia struggled to find a rhythm, shooting 41.8% overall and managing a mere 29.7% clip by hitting 11 of 37 shots from 3-point range. Those hot-shooting stretches allowed the Celtics to build a lead that grew as large as 25 points down the stretch.
“I think it’ll be interesting,” Nick Nurse, Sixers coach, noted. “I would imagine that they’ve played some one-on-one against each other quite a bit over the last number of years, and I would imagine that will play itself out a little bit.”
"This ain't no f—–g Shaq and Kobe." 😳 Jayson Tatum dismisses any beef between him and Jaylen Brown. pic.twitter.com/yTXYG5Ap6I
“I think it’s all something really interesting for all of us to be able to watch tonight and see how it goes,” Nurse added.
The tension traces back to an offseason shaped by roster decisions and health developments. Following a playoff run where Tatum sat out on the bench with left knee discomfort during a Game 7 loss at TD Garden, team president Brad Stevens ultimately chose to keep Tatum as the centerpiece of the franchise.
That choice led directly to Brown’s relocation to Philadelphia in July alongside George, who returned to face the City of Brotherly Love crowd after two flat seasons marred by knee and adductor injuries.
Before becoming adversaries on the court, Tatum and Brown shared immense team success in Boston, winning the 2024 NBA championship under Mazzulla. Individual accolades also followed, with Tatum earning First Team All-NBA nods and Brown collecting both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP honors during their title run.
Despite the competitive fire displayed on Tuesday, Brown continued to maintain that their professional split did not stem from personal animosity. Recalling his previous remarks about their relationship, Brown reiterated his unique phrasing regarding the situation. “There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and gravy,” he said, adding that his former teammate “should stay ready at all times.”
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