‘Took This Personal,’ ‘True Revenge Game’ — NBA World Raves As Paul George Outshines Jaylen Brown in Celtics-76ers Clash With ‘Vintage’ 36-Point Night
· Yahoo Sports
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s first regular-season meeting as opponents headlined Tuesday’s marquee matchup between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. However, Paul George stole the show, leading all scorers with 36 points in Boston’s resounding 123-101 road win.
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Acquired in the surprising offseason trade that sent Brown to the 76ers, the nine-time All-Star shined in his first game back in Philadelphia. George’s vintage performance drew high praise from around the NBA world, with some contrasting it with his underwhelming, injury-plagued stint with the 76ers, which the 36-year-old addressed after the game.
Paul George’s Dominant Return to Philadelphia Fuels Redemption-Season Buzz
George shot 14-for-22 overall (63.6%), including 6-for-11 from 3-point range (54.5%), adding 5 rebounds and 1 assist in only 30 minutes. Boston broke a 79-79 tie with a late third-quarter run, and the veteran forward took over from there.
He scored 14 consecutive Celtics points in a stretch of just under 4 minutes in the final frame, extending Boston’s lead from 97-82 to 111-87.
In contrast, Brown struggled to find his rhythm. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP picked up 2 fouls in the first quarter and his 4th early in the third, finishing with a quiet 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting (44.4%) while logging a game-worst minus-27 plus-minus. Tatum added 21 points for Boston, while Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 24.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne gave both George and his team their due, raving, “Vintage Paul George performance in what was billed as a showdown of the Jays. Very impressive win for Boston.”
Basketball reporter Ashley Nicole Moss sensed an extra edge behind the scoring outburst, suggesting that “Paul George took this matchup PERSONAL.”
Former NBA star Isaiah Thomas went a step further, interpreting George’s strong showing as a reminder of his standing in the league:
“Paul George like don’t get it twisted, all y’all looked up to me at some point. I still got a lot left in the tank.”
“The true revenge game today. JB didn’t show up,” one fan reacted.
Another relished the lopsided result, adding, “Revenge never tasted so good.”
George, however, played down that idea. Asked if he came into his Philadelphia homecoming looking to send a message, the Celtics wing pointed to his role complementing Tatum:
“Nah. My job is to come in and support JT and be the best version that I can be for him. That was my only focus,” George said.
One 76ers content creator held Tuesday’s outburst up against George’s lackluster stint with Philadelphia:
“If Paul George played 1/4 of the way he did tonight over the past 2 years, things could’ve been very different in Philadelphia.”
“Where the [expletive] was this in Philly?” another asked.
On NBC’s postgame show, George, who battled multiple injuries with the 76ers, spoke to the contrast between his two stops:
“I’m a little bit better with more usage, and that’s no knock to my opportunities here with Philly,” George shared. “Quite frankly, I wasn’t healthy to take on the workload that I feel I’m at my best at. But here in Boston, they gave me an opportunity to come out and play and be myself.”
Through 10 appearances with the Celtics, George is averaging 22.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 2.1 steals per game on impressive 48.8/44.0/82.1 shooting splits.
His ability to thrive off the ball, space the floor, and defend opposing wings has fit seamlessly in Joe Mazzulla’s system.
Tuesday’s win marked Boston’s ninth in 10 games, lifting the Celtics to 9-2 and first place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game ahead of the 76ers (9-3).
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.