It was the matchup everyone had circled, and it did not go the way one former Celtics star hoped. On a night filled with buildup, the Celtics delivered a statement win.
Jaylen Brown struggled in his first game against Jayson Tatum since being traded, as the Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123 to 101 on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2026.
What happened between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum?
Before tipoff, Tatum walked toward Brown at midcourt to greet him and tapped him on the chest. Brown acted as if Tatum was not there, and Tatum moved on to shake hands with Sixers star LeBron James. The cold exchange set the tone for a tense evening.
Brown had said days earlier that he had nothing to talk about with Tatum, his teammate for nine years and a fellow champion in 2024. After weeks of back and forth, Brown joked that there was no beef between them, just a little lamb chops and gravy.
Asked about the pregame moment, Brown said he was focused on his team and was not paying attention, adding that Jayson Tatum played well. He did not elaborate on why he ignored his former teammate.
How did Jaylen Brown play?
Fans rose to their feet when Brown got the ball against Jayson Tatum early in the first quarter. Brown tried a spin move, stumbled and lost the ball out of bounds, then fouled Tatum on the next play while still arguing about a missed call.
He finished with 13 points, five rebounds and four turnovers, and the Sixers were outscored by 27 points while he was on the floor, the worst mark in the game. It was one of his worst games of the season.
He picked up a charging foul on Derrick White and went to the bench with about five minutes left in the first quarter. It was his first game this season with more than one foul in the opening quarter, and he had four fouls early in the third. He asked the Sixers to challenge the charge, but they did not.
What did Jayson Tatum say?
Jayson Tatum downplayed the buildup to the game. He said he was not thinking about headlines and was just getting ready to compete, have some fun and win.
Tatum and Brown won a championship together in Boston in 2024, and their partnership was one of the league’s most successful before Brown was traded this offseason. The two had faced constant questions about whether they could coexist.
How did Brown explain his performance?
Brown said he was frustrated and had looked forward to playing well, using profanity to say that bad nights happen. He said he would get ready for the next game.
He denied that emotions got to him, saying he was locked in and focused. Foul trouble took him out of his rhythm, he said, and the Celtics executed better. He said he was ready to move on.
The Sixers coach said Brown simply had a tough night.
What comes next after Brown faced Jayson Tatum?
Brown had been playing some of his best basketball of the season, scoring 30 points against Detroit, a season high, and 29 against Chicago on Sunday.
The loss was a rare bad night for a Philadelphia team that has been one of the league’s best early in the season. Boston controlled most of the game and pulled away for a comfortable win.
With the rivalry renewed, the next meeting between Brown and Jayson Tatum is already sure to draw a crowd. Fans in both cities will be counting down the days.
