Paul George and the Celtics devour the Sixers in Philadelphia

Paul George was the star of the return to Philadelphia. The forward for the Boston Celtics delivered a spectacular performance with 36 points and six three-pointers to lead his team to a convincing victory of 123-101 against the Philadelphia 76ers. One of the main attractions of the match was the first matchup between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after the latter's trade to the Sixers last summer.

However, all eyes ended up on George. The nine-time All-Star punished his former team with six three-pointers on 11 attempts and was crucial for Boston to pull away on the scoreboard thanks to two important offensive runs.

The player is taking advantage of his increased offensive role with the Celtics. After two seasons in Philadelphia, where he was hindered by various physical issues, George has found in Boston a stage to take on more responsibilities. In his first 10 games, he is averaging 22 points per game, with more shot attempts than during the last season with the Sixers.

"I'm a little better when I have more involvement, and that's not a criticism of the opportunities I had here in Philadelphia. Honestly, I wasn't healthy enough to take on the workload that I feel I can give my best version. In Boston, I've been given the chance to go out and play and be myself," he explained after the game in remarks to the NBC broadcast.

Paul George is already making history in Boston

The impact of the forward in his first games with the Celtics has been notable. With an average of 22 points, George has the second-best scoring record of a Boston player during his first 10 games with the franchise.

Only Kemba Walker, who averaged 25 points in that same period in 2019, currently surpasses his numbers. Behind them are Isaiah Thomas (21.4), Kyrie Irving (21), and Bailey Howell (21).

The performance in Philadelphia confirmed his good form, although it also left an anecdote that did not go unnoticed. After hitting his fourth three-pointer to make it 100-82 in favor of Boston, George responded with an obscene gesture to a Sixers fan who threw the ball back to him in a way he didn't like.

The player himself later explained what happened: "There was a fan who was being a total idiot. The ball got to him, he looked me straight in the eyes and dropped it to the ground as if I were a dog he needed to fetch. Instead of passing me the ball like a normal fan would, I responded by flipping him the bird."

But his biggest blow came in the fourth quarter. George scored 14 consecutive points to finally seal the deal against Philadelphia and complete one of his best performances since arriving in Boston.

Tatum and Brown, supporting characters

The game also meant a special reunion between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. They shared a locker room for years in Boston, but the trade of the 2024 Finals MVP to Philadelphia last summer ended their time as teammates.

The relationship between the two had generated anticipation due to the coolness perceived in their statements before the game. And the beginning of the match also did not help to ease the tension.

Brown had trouble with fouls from the first quarter when he quickly picked up two personal fouls. The situation worsened after halftime, as he was called for his fourth foul at the start of the second half. He finished with 13 points in his first matchup against his former team.

Tatum, for his part, managed 21 points and took the victory in a duel that ended up having an unexpected protagonist.

Paul George did not need to turn the match into a personal revenge. In fact, he stated that his main goal was to support Tatum and bring his best version to the team.

"No, my job was just to come and support Jayson Tatum and be the best version of myself for him. That was my only goal," he acknowledged.

Boston secured a convincing victory of 123-101 and confirmed that George's addition can provide a very important offensive dimension. While Tatum and Brown were in the spotlight before the game, it was the former Sixers player who ended up stealing all the headlines.