NEW YORK: The Boston Celtics beat Philadelphia 123-101 to replace the 76ers at the top of the NBA Eastern Conference as Jayson Tatum outshone his former teammate Jaylen Brown in a much-hyped showdown Tuesday.
Brown's first regular season clash against the Celtics team he called home for a decade played out against reports of a beef with his 2024 NBA title-winning partner Tatum.
The two men have exchanged cryptic public barbs, apparently disagreeing over Tatum's knowledge of – or role in – Brown's shock trade this summer to the Sixers.
Tatum greeted Brown moments before tip-off but was seemingly blanked, and the game began in feisty fashion, with a fired-up Brown making two steals but conceding two fouls in the opening minutes.
