Paul George picked the perfect night for a season-best performance. The Boston Celtics beat the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, in the first meeting between the teams since their July blockbuster trade — and George was the star of the show.
George scored a game-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 6 of 11 from three-point range, with five rebounds. He scored 17 points in the first half and 14 more in the fourth quarter. It was his first game against Philadelphia since being traded to Boston in the Jaylen Brown deal, after spending two seasons with the Sixers, where he averaged 16.7 points.
A frosty reunion for Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum added 21 points, six rebounds, four assists and two blocks for Boston. Jaylen Brown, in his first game against his old team, managed only 13 points with four turnovers and a minus-27 rating after early foul trouble.
The tension between the former teammates was visible before tip-off. Brown appeared to ignore a greeting from Tatum, his teammate of nine seasons — Tatum tapped Brown on the arm and chest as he walked past, and Brown barely acknowledged him. After the game, Brown greeted many former teammates but was not seen exchanging pleasantries with Tatum.
Boston pulls away late
Boston led by as many as 29 points, made 22 of 49 three-pointers (44.9%), and closed the game with a 26-3 run after Philadelphia briefly tied it late in the third quarter. Boston improved to 9-2 — the best record in the Eastern Conference and a four-game winning streak — while Philadelphia fell to 9-3. The teams meet again in Boston on 21 January.
There was also a viral flashpoint late in the third quarter, when a courtside fan dropped the game ball on the floor instead of passing it to George, and George flipped the fan off. He explained afterwards: “There was a fan being an a–hole. Dropped the ball on the ground as if I’m a dog to go fetch… so then I rolled him a middle finger in return.”
The NBA has delivered a string of huge individual nights this week — from Cooper Flagg’s 43-point explosion for Dallas to Victor Wembanyama’s 40-point night for San Antonio — and George’s revenge game now joins them.
Bhudev Bhagaliya is an experienced and senior journalist who has carved a distinct niche for himself in the world of Hindi journalism through his profound understanding and precise writing style. With over two decades of experience in the field of journalism, he has held key responsibilities at Dainik Hindustan for 12 years and at Amar Ujala for one year. Currently, he serves as the Content Editor for the Jagrook Youth News newspaper and portal, where he plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality and credibility of the news content. Bhudev Bhagaliya consistently writes about issues that help raise awareness within society and among the younger generation.