Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown brushed off his awkward interaction with former Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum before Tuesday's tipoff.
"I'm just focused on doing what's best for my team," Brown said after the Celtics' 123-101 win over the 76ers, per ESPN's Kris Rhim.
"Everything else, to be honest, I wasn't paying attention, but credit to Jayson; he played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics. They executed, they shot the hell out of the ball, and they were the better team tonight."
Ahead of their first matchup as opponents since Brown's offseason trade, Tatum tried to greet Brown after both teams' starting lineups were announced. However, Brown appeared not to acknowledge Tatum, who then moved on to hug Sixers star LeBron James.
The pregame moment between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. 📺 NBA on NBC and Peacock https://t.co/P4iclUnqZ5
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) November 11, 2026
Tatum also downplayed the pregame interaction with Brown.
"No headlines about anything like that," Tatum said, according to Rhim. "I was just getting ready for the game, ready for jump ball, go out there, compete, have some fun, and try to get a win."
Brown and Tatum finally faced off on the court following a series of lingering off-court tensions. In October, Brown playfully remarked that the sides didn't have any beef, but that "there might be a little lamb chops and some gravy."
Brown lamented his Tuesday performance, finishing with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting, five rebounds, and four turnovers. He admitted that foul trouble took him out of his rhythm.
Tatum scored 21 points, including an emphatic dunk over James, to lift Boston to its fourth consecutive win.
The Celtics traded Brown to Philadelphia in July for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round selections.
