Jaylen Brown has a night to forget against the Celtics: 13 points and a -27 in his reunion with Tatum
The forward of the Philadelphia 76ers had foul trouble and signed one of his worst games of the season against his former team.
The reunion between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum after nine seasons sharing a locker room with the Boston Celtics did not have the outcome that the player from the Philadelphia 76ers expected. On a night that generated enormous anticipation, Brown delivered a very modest performance and ended up being one of the major targets of his team's defeat by 123-101.
The most awaited moment came during the first quarter. Almost all the fans present at the Xfinity Mobile Arena stood up when Brown received the ball on one of the sidelines and faced Tatum. It was the matchup that everyone wanted to see after the summer trade, but the play ended in the worst way for the Philadelphia player.
Brown attempted to outmaneuver his former teammate with two dribbles and a spin move, but he lost his balance and ended up losing the ball out of bounds. Just a few seconds later, he committed a foul on Tatum while still arguing with one of the referees about what he considered a missed call on the previous play.
It was a small glimpse of a night that was particularly challenging for the forward, who finished with 13 points, five rebounds, four turnovers, and a -27 in the balance while he was on the court.
A reunion marked by coldness
The tension between both players had already been evident before the tip-off. Brown had stated days earlier that he had no intention of talking to Tatum during the game, after nine years sharing a team and winning the NBA championship together in 2024.
"There’s nothing to talk about," he had responded when asked about a possible conversation with his former teammate.
And the first encounter between them on the court left a quite significant image. While Brown spun a ball in the center of the court, Tatum approached to greet him and offered a gesture of complicity. The Sixers player acted as if he had not seen his former teammate, causing Tatum to end up greeting LeBron James, who was next to Brown.
After the game, the Philadelphia player avoided delving into what had happened.
"I’m focused on doing what’s best for my team. Honestly, I wasn’t paying attention to all the other stuff, but you have to give credit to Jayson; he played well tonight," he explained.
Tatum also did not want to fuel the controversy and preferred to focus on the sporting result.
"There are no headlines about any of that. I was just preparing for the game, for the tip-off, going out to compete, have fun, and try to get a win," he pointed out.
Foul trouble dooms Brown
Brown's performance was particularly surprising as it came during one of his best moments of the season. The player had scored 30 points in the victory against Detroit and later added another 29 in the Sunday win against Chicago. He seemed to be finding his best version in Philadelphia, but the matchup against Boston stalled that progress.
Personal fouls were largely to blame. After committing two in the first quarter, Brown received an offensive foul for charging into Derrick White, a play he asked his bench to review unsuccessfully.
His situation worsened after halftime. With 10 minutes and 40 seconds left in the third quarter, he picked up his fourth personal foul, which further hampered his participation and took him out of his usual rhythm.
Nick Nurse, the Sixers coach, acknowledged that his player had a tough night.
"He had a tough night," the coach summarized.
Brown himself did not hide his frustration after the game: "I’m a little frustrated, honestly."
However, he rejected the idea that the emotional aspect of the reunion with Tatum affected his performance.
"I didn't have any special emotions. I was focused, I was dialed in, and prepared to play. The foul trouble took me out of my rhythm a little. I had to sit for a while, and we didn’t execute as well as they did," he explained.
The first chapter of the new rivalry between Brown and Tatum thus concluded with a resounding victory for the Boston player. While Tatum scored 21 points and celebrated the Celtics' victory, Brown left with one of his most modest performances of the season and many loose ends to address for the next matchup.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Jaylen Brown sufre una noche para olvidar contra los Celtics: 13 puntos y un -27 en su reencuentro con Tatum
