Jaylen Brown’s ‘passive’ game, interaction with Jayson Tatum, and more national media reaction from Sixers-Celtics
Paul George went off for 36 points in his first game back in Philly. But Stephen A. Smith and others were fixated on the former teammates as well as the Sixers’ offense.
The 76ers’ highly anticipated matchup against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday was supposed to be about Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
Instead, Paul George stole the spotlight.
George scored 36 points in his first game against his former team since the offseason trade that sent him to Boston and brought Brown to Philly. The Celtics won, 123-101, at Xfinity Mobile Arena to move a half-game ahead of the Sixers (9-3) for first place in the Eastern Conference.
Brown finished with 13 points, while Tatum scored 21. Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 24.
From Brown’s struggles to the team’s offensive concerns, here’s what national commentators are saying:
‘He didn’t show up to play last night’
Stephen A. Smith had no problem with Brown apparently ignoring Tatum’s attempt to greet him before tipoff. The ESPN personality’s disappointment came from Brown’s performance.
“Here’s the problem I have with Jaylen Brown. He didn’t show up to play last night,” Smith said on Wednesday’s episode of First Take.
Smith expected Brown, who averaged 28.7 points last season with Boston, to approach the matchup with additional motivation.
“I wanted him to go at Jayson Tatum,” Smith said. “Jayson Tatum clearly came ready to go at him.”
Tatum scored 11 first-quarter points, while Brown finished 4-for-9 from the field and committed four turnovers.
Smith said he welcomed the tension between the former teammates, arguing that personal rivalries add excitement to basketball.
» READ MORE: Celtics’ blowout win is a wake-up call for Sixers shooters | David Murphy
‘Jaylen Brown’s wrong here’
Smith’s First Take colleague Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, meanwhile, believed Brown had taken things too far.
“Jaylen Brown’s wrong here,” Russo said. “All right, shake his hand.”
Russo criticized Brown for prolonging the tension with Tatum, arguing that acknowledging his former teammate could have prevented further scrutiny.
“He’s taken this way too far,” Russo said.
ESPN analyst Monica McNutt offered a different perspective, acknowledging the apparent tension while defending the players’ right to compete without maintaining a friendship.
“There’s definitely tension there,” McNutt said. “But, ultimately, competition does not mean that you have to be friends.”
Brown told reporters postgame that he wasn’t paying attention when Tatum approached him.
‘Requisite game plan’ for Paul George
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst questioned the defensive approach against George during Wednesday’s episode of The Hoop Collective.
“I don’t think Philly had the requisite game plan to guard Paul George,” Windhorst said on the podcast.
Windhorst noted that George entered Tuesday shooting above 40% from three-point range but still received numerous open looks.
» READ MORE: Paul George wanted to ‘be the best version’ of himself. He did just that in the Celtics’ win.
George finished 14-for-22 from the field, including 6-for-11 from beyond the arc.
“Paul George looked very, very comfortable the entire game,” Windhorst said.
The ESPN insider also questioned the Sixers’ offensive production despite their strong record.
“Their offense has not been great,” Windhorst said. “And that showed up especially late in this game.”
‘More passive of a performance’
ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks also expressed disappointment with Brown’s performance on The Hoop Collective.
Marks questioned why Brown attempted just nine shots, four fewer than reserve guard Anfernee Simons, despite the significance of facing his former team.
“It was probably more passive of a performance than he wanted against his former team,” Marks said.
Brown finished with a team-worst minus-27 rating, and the Sixers made two of their strongest runs while he was on the bench.
Marks also criticized the Sixers’ offensive execution, particularly their inability to attack the basket against Boston’s defense.
“I just thought the Sixers’ offense was just kind of discombobulated,” Marks said.
The Celtics made 22 three-pointers, outscoring Philadelphia by 33 points from beyond the arc. Marks pointed to Boston reserves Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser, who combined for eight three-pointers, as significant contributors to the fourth-quarter separation.
Inquirer beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine go behind the scenes of covering LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the Sixers’ star-studded roster, and debate what’s real and not real about the team’s hot start. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
