Jaylen Brown walked into Monday’s matchup with the Celtics carrying plenty of edge, but he walked out with a line that looked nothing like the player Philadelphia expected when it traded for him.
Brown finished with 13 points, a quiet night in a game Boston controlled through its top scorers. Jayson Tatum put up 21, while Paul George led the way with 36. That gap was enough for Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor to unload on Brown after the game.
“Downright terrible game by Jaylen Brown. His worst game of the year in the biggest moment with Philly.
Tries to manufacture a rivalry with Jayson Tatum and he fell flat on his face. All while getting outplayed not only by Tatum but Paul George - the player the Celtics preferred,” O’Connor wrote on his official X account.
The performance stood out even more because Brown had spent the buildup leaning into the tension with his former team and with Tatum. He did not greet Tatum before tip-off, even though Tatum made the effort to dap him up.
Instead of driving the 76ers’ offense, Brown was mostly on the perimeter of it. Tyrese Maxey carried much of the load, and Brown attempted just nine shots, well below his season average of 17.6 field-goal attempts per game entering the night.
He also spent much of the opening stretch locked in on face guarding Tatum, a choice that seemed to backfire as the night went on. The attempt to make a statement against Boston ended with Brown looking far more contained than commanding.
Brown will get another shot at the Celtics on January 21, 2027, when Philadelphia visits TD Garden.
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