Jaylen Brown didn’t want to make much of the pregame moment with Jayson Tatum, and after the final buzzer he kept that same tone.
Before Tuesday’s tip-off, the two former Celtics teammates had an awkward-looking exchange, but Brown brushed it off afterward and said he was locked in on his own job. The night itself, though, belonged to Tatum and the Celtics, who cruised past the 76ers 123-101 while Brown had a rough outing.
Brown said he “wasn’t paying attention” when Tatum came over and wrapped his arms around him shortly before the game.
“I’m just focused on doing what’s best for my team,” Brown said. “Everything else is just ... to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention.”
Even with the uncomfortable moment hanging in the air, Brown didn’t bite when asked about it after the loss. Instead, he gave Tatum his due.
“Credit to Jayson. He played well tonight,” Brown said. “Credit to the Celtics.”
Tatum wasn’t the main engine for Boston, either. He finished with 21 points on 8-of-17 shooting, a number that was overshadowed by Paul George’s 36-point night.
But Tatum still clearly outplayed Brown, who didn’t get into double figures until late in the fourth quarter and ended with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting. Brown also finished a team-worst -27.
Brown said afterward that he was “frustrated” with how he played.
“I wanted to perform better for my team,” Brown said. “Foul trouble kind of derailed me a little bit, but you know, it happens.”
Joel Embiid, LeBron James and VJ Edgecombe also had quiet offensive nights, so Brown wasn’t the only one who struggled. Still, the gap between Brown’s difficult performance and George’s big night stood out sharply after the two were traded for each other in the summer.
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