All eyes were on Boston Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Philadelphia 76ers' Jaylen Brown before tip-off and through most of the night as the two teammates, who had played together for nearly a decade, squared off for the first time. But while fans fixated on how Brown would perform against the team that traded him, Celtics veteran Paul George scored 36 points against his former team, helping Boston secure a 123-101 blowout win in Philadelphia.

As for whether Tatum and Brown, who led the Celtics to a championship in 2024, would embrace one another at any point throughout the night, Tatum's attempt was poorly received moments before tip-off, which Tatum says he didn't take personally, per CLNS Media's Bobby Manning.

“No headlines about anything like that,” Tatum said. “I was getting ready for the game, getting ready for the jump ball, going out there to compete, and having some fun trying to get a win.”

Tatum on Brown ignoring him: “No headlines about anything like that. I was getting ready for the game, getting ready for the jump ball … trying to get a win.”

— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) November 11, 2026

Jayson Tatum finished with 21 points on 8-for-17 attempts, including three triples, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks for the Celtics. Jaylen Brown supplied 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, five rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block for the 76ers. All-Star Tyrese Maxey led Philly with 24 points, while Payton Pritchard led the Celtics bench with 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Tatum tapped Brown on the chest before giving him a light hug from the side, and Jaylen kept looking straight ahead while spinning the basketball on his finger before Jayson dapped up LeBron James right before tip-off.

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After the game, Brown embraced some of his former teammates, including Neemias Queta, Derrick White, Jordan Walsh, and Pritchard. Meanwhile, Tatum was still doing his walk-off postgame interview before Brown headed off the court and into the 76ers' locker room.