It felt like June in November on Tuesday night, and Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum didn’t mince words about the electric environment. Boston rolled into Philadelphia and dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 behind a dominant team effort.

Tatum was struck by the raw intensity on the floor, comparing the regular season clash to the highest stage in basketball. “I made a joke when I walked out: I couldn't tell if it was November 10th or June 10th,” Tatum said after the game. “It felt like a f**king Finals game.”While fans and media naturally fixated on Tatum facing off against former teammate Jaylen Brown for the first time since their high-profile split, Tatum repeatedly refused to lean into the drama.

Jayson Tatum on the atmosphere tonight:

“I made a joke when I walked out: I couldn’t tell if it was November 10th or June 10th. It felt like a fucking Finals game.”

But he repeatedly downplayed the significance of his matchup with Jaylen Brown:

“Listen, it’s not about that.… pic.twitter.com/28InRzfX8F

— Zack Cox (@zm_cox) November 11, 2026

Instead, he deflected praise to small forward Paul George, who delivered a vintage performance against his former team with a game-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting. “Listen, it's not about that,” Tatum insisted regarding the matchup with Brown. “Tonight was a good team win. PG was incredible. That's all that really needs to be talked about.”

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Tatum anchored Boston’s starting group with 21 points, six rebounds, and four assists in 32 minutes. Reserve guard Payton Pritchard brought a massive spark off the bench, tallying 18 points and five assists while finishing with a game-best plus-26 rating. Boston caught fire from deep, knocking down 18 3-pointers and shooting 50 percent from the field to push their record to 9-2.

Meanwhile, Philadelphia struggled to sustain momentum despite point guard Tyrese Maxey scoring 24 points on 8-of-12 shooting. Brown endured a frustrating night plagued by early foul trouble, finishing with 13 points and four turnovers while logging a minus-27 rating. Center Joel Embiid added 16 points but struggled to find rhythm from the floor, shooting just 2-of-9. Tatum's calm leadership kept Boston focused on taking care of business.