We’ve been underestimating Paul George, and other thoughts from the Celtics’ dominant win over the rival 76ers

The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday night, according to Defector. The game was framed by the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Sixers in exchange for Paul George. Defector reported that Brown was keyed-up, foul-prone, and made poor decisions, sitting out much of the game, while George was methodical, efficient, and at ease in the flow of offense. George finished with 36 points, shooting 6-of-11 from three-point range. Through 10 games this season, he is averaging 22 points on a career-best 63 percent true shooting. Defector described George as a loyal cog in Joe Mazzulla's decentralized, floor-spacing system who can improvise while respecting the team's superstructure. The outlet noted George is 36 years old and has not had a proper healthy season since 2023-24. In two years with Philadelphia, he played just 78 total regular-season games amid lower-body injuries, mystery drug use, and inconsistent podcasting. Brown had logged 71 games for the Celtics the prior season while soaking up 36 percent usage on his way to an All-NBA second team. Defector said both players carry contracts asking somewhere between 32 and 35 percent of the salary cap, and that the Sixers had to sweeten the deal with draft picks. The outlet cautioned that a single November game cannot fully assess a trade, but said George could prove more valuable than Brown over the remainder of his contract if he stays healthy. Smith called out an NBA star, saying he did not show up to play the previous night. The Boston Globe published a piece on the chill between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, noting time will tell if it thaws. NESN reported that people close to Tatum and Brown keep saying the same thing about their beef. Another Yahoo Sports piece said Brown snubbed Tatum before tipoff and his night only got worse. A Sixers Wire article provided player grades for Brown and the Sixers' home loss. A final Yahoo Sports piece asked whether anything was learned about either team in the blowout.