PHILADELPHIA - Jaylen Brown has bigger things on his mind than the noise around Jayson Tatum.
With Tuesday’s matchup at Xfinity Mobile Arena looming, Brown is set to face the Boston Celtics for the first time in a regular-season game since the 76ers landed him in July’s blockbuster deal that sent Paul George and draft picks to Boston. The spotlight is obvious, but Brown has made it clear where he wants it to stay: on the game.
The chatter around Brown and Tatum has only grown in recent days, fueled by a feud and back-and-forth over the trade. Former Celtics player and current team color commentator Brian Scalabrine added to the mess when he said Brown had demanded a trade from Boston.
Brown’s camp pushed back, saying he never requested one, and Scalabrine later walked that back. He still took another shot, saying the small forward led the NBA in turnovers last season as a Celtic.
Brown, though, has already tried to move past it. He said he was “going to stay focused on what is in front of me here in Philadelphia.”
And what’s in front of him is a heavyweight Eastern Conference battle between the Sixers (9-2) and Celtics (8-2).
“I think it should be fun,” Brown told the media following Sunday’s 127-121 road victory over the Chicago Bulls. “A good opportunity for our team to show what we’re made of.
So, I’m looking forward to it. Big time matchup.
Two heavyweights in the East. Let’s get it.”
Even then, the questions kept coming. Brown was asked whether he had spoken with Tatum since the Celtics star said there was no beef between them. Brown answered with a line about lamb chops and gravy.
“Nope,” Brown responded.
When asked if he planned to talk to Tatum before Tuesday’s game, Brown kept it simple.
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Brown said. “I mean, he’s on his side.
I’m on my side. We’re playing basketball.
Both of us are trying to win. So, it’s nothing to talk about.
Check the ball up.
Brown, the Sixers’ second-leading scorer at 21.6 points per game, has the right idea. The storyline is already set. The real answer will come when the ball goes up and both sides start trying to settle it on the floor.
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