Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum met for the first time as former teammates on Tuesday night, but Pavel George overshadowed them both, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. George, who was part of the return for Celtics when they sent Brown to Sixers had 36 points and five rebounds in a controversial July trade as Boston beat Philadelphia by 22 points.
“My job was to come in and support JT and be the best version of myself that I could be for him,” – said George.
At age 36 and coming off two injury-riddled seasons, George was part of a deal that also saw the Celtics receive first-round picks in 2028 and 2031 and second-round picks in 2028 and 2030. In two years with the Sixers, he played 41 and 37 games, and the large contract he signed as a free agent in 2024 was widely seen as a mistake by the team.
George revived his game in Boston, putting up numbers similar to his All-Star seasons in 2023 and 2024 while being a vital part of the league’s fourth-best defense.
“At the end of last year, at the end of the year and in the playoffs, he played very, very well, as we hoped (when the Sixers signed him).” Sixers coach. Nick Nurse said. “He’s just never been in the long game before. I’d like to see him on the court more and more like he’s done over the course of two years.” George was a Sixer.
More on the Celtics:
- The simmering feud between Brown and Tatum continued Tuesday night before the game, Vardon adds. Tatum tried to greet his former teammate by patting his chest while Brown twirled the game ball on his finger, but Brown did not respond. He matched up with Tatum on defense while George guarded Brown, who failed to make a major impact in what he considered a revenge game. He finished with 13 points in 26 minutes, and Philadelphia was outscored by 27 points when he was on the court. “I was looking forward to it” – said Brown. “I was looking forward to a good game, but I guess (expletive) happens.”
- When the Celtics signed George, there was speculation that they could use his contract, which includes a $56.6 million player option for next season, as part of a larger move down the road. However, his production so far may change that, he says MassLive’s Brian Robb.
“It was great” Tatum said. “Obviously, it’s still early, but he’s just got great instincts on both ends of the court. In training camp and now, we’re just getting a feel for each other and understanding, building that bond between two people and being able to play with each other. So far, so good, and obviously we’ll continue.”
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Also faced his former team on Tuesday night Anfernie Simonswho was a valuable backup in Boston last season before being traded to Chicago in February, Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe notes in history for subscribers only. Simons now fills the same role with the Sixers after joining them as a free agent this summer. “I thought he showed a lot of humility and openness to play a different role than what he’s played in his career,” Celtics coach. Joe Mazzula said. “But what you saw from him before he came to us, when he was with us and now is who he is. He’s just been a high-level scorer, a really good player and a competitor throughout his career.”
