Kyrie Irving is already treating Tuesday night’s Celtics-76ers game like must-see TV.
After Dallas edged Indiana 125-122 on Monday, the Mavericks star said he’s locked in for Boston’s trip to Philadelphia, where Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown will face off for the first time as opponents. Noah Weber of The Smoking Cuban relayed Irving’s reaction on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Kyrie Irving said that he’s going to have his ‘popcorn ready’ to watch Sixers-Celtics tomorrow.”
That matchup arrives with plenty of weight behind it. Boston, 8-2, visits Philadelphia, 9-2, on Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET on NBC, and it will be Brown’s first regular-season game against the Celtics since moving on.
Irving’s interest makes sense given his own Boston ties. He spent two seasons with the Celtics from 2017 to 2019, sharing the floor with Tatum and Brown before leaving for the Brooklyn Nets that offseason. During that stretch, the nine-time All-Star helped push Boston to the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2019.
Tatum and Brown’s run together in Boston stretched across eight seasons from 2017 to 2026, and the two became one of the league’s most productive pairings. They helped the Celtics reach six Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals, then capped it all by bringing the franchise its record 18th championship in 2024.
Brown later earned NBA Finals MVP honors after Boston beat Irving’s Mavericks in five games.
Now in Philadelphia, Brown has helped the 76ers get off to their best start through 11 games since the 2000-01 season. Boston, meanwhile, comes in on a three-game winning streak after Sunday’s 117-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
So while the Tatum-Brown reunion is the headline, the game also lands with both teams sitting near the top of the Eastern Conference early on. That’s why this one has more than just nostalgia attached to it.
In Other News...
Jaylen Brown Trade Debate Just Got Real For Celtics Fans
Jaylen Browns move to Philadelphia has quickly become one of those deals Celtics fans cant help but revisit, especially with both sides getting what they hoped for early on. Brown has settled in well with the 76ers, putting up strong production that is right in line with, and in some areas a touch above, what he had been doing in Boston, while Paul George has also looked comfortable in his new setting after the swap.
What makes the debate linger is that neither player has looked like a clear loser in the exchange. Brown has been handling a heavier workload, and George has brought the kind of defensive impact that can change a game without dominating the scoring column. For Celtics fans, the trade is no longer just a hypothetical front-office exercise. It is a live comparison, and one that still feels like it could tilt in either direction as the season unfolds. [Read more 🡒]
Neemias Queta Is Giving The Celtics A Weapon Few Fans Saw Coming
Neemias Queta has quietly become one of the more useful moving parts in Bostons offense this season, even if his minutes have not always reflected it. His value has come less from traditional box-score production and more from the little things that keep possessions alive, especially the flare screens and off-ball movement that help open space for teammates. For a Celtics group that leans so heavily on spacing and timing, Queta has given the attack a different look without needing the ball in his hands for long.
What makes the development more interesting is how much his own game has grown alongside that role. Queta has shown more willingness to step out and shoot from deep, while also finishing better around the rim, which gives Boston a more versatile option when it wants to play through size without sacrificing movement. The sample is still relatively small, but the Celtics have clearly found a frontcourt wrinkle that changes the feel of their offense whenever he is on the floor. [Read more 🡒]
Paul George Is Giving The Celtics Something They Really Needed
Paul Georges start in Boston has fit neatly into what the Celtics have wanted from him, even if it looks a little different from the versions of George fans saw in his previous stops. Early on, hes putting up 20.4 points per game on a 60% true shooting mark, and the bigger story is how hes getting there. Instead of leaning on the pick-and-roll-heavy look he had with the Clippers or the isolation diet he saw with the 76ers, George has settled into a role that asks him to move, read, and create within Bostons off-screen-heavy offense.
That adjustment matters because the Celtics have been looking for another player who can keep the attack flowing when the structure changes, and George has given them exactly that kind of flexibility. Hes been productive whether Jayson Tatum is on the floor or not, which is a useful sign for a team that needs reliable offense across different lineup combinations. The early returns suggest Boston may have found a cleaner fit for George than the one he had in his last two stops, and the next question is how far that comfort can carry once the season settles in. [Read more 🡒]