The Boston Celtics routed the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena in the teams’ first regular-season meeting since Boston traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in the offseason.

Paul George, who joined the Celtics in that deal, torched his former team for a game-high 36 points. Brown had a far quieter night, and once it was over, he explained why he had not returned a pregame greeting from former co-star Jayson Tatum.

Jaylen Brown Addresses Jayson Tatum Pregame Snub During Celtics-76ers Clash

Brown and Tatum were drafted third overall a year apart, spent nine seasons together in Boston, and won the 2024 NBA championship. However, their relationship has drawn questions ever since the trade.

Last month, Tatum played down suggestions of tension between them, asserting, “There’s no beef,” but Brown answered later, saying there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.”

Two days before Tuesday’s game, Brown had indicated he did not intend to speak with Tatum.

Just before the opening tip, Tatum went over to greet Brown and appeared to offer a handshake or a quick hug. However, the 2024 Finals MVP did not respond, and Tatum then turned to Brown’s 76ers teammate LeBron James.

After the game, Brown addressed the exchange and said, “I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team. Everything else was just, to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson, he played well tonight. Credit to the Celtics … they were the better team tonight.”

Brown had a less-than-ideal revenge game, recording 4 points and 2 steals in the first quarter while being whistled for two fouls less than three minutes apart. He finished with 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, along with 5 rebounds, a block, and 4 turnovers. His minus-27 was the worst of any player in the game.

Tatum did much of his damage early, scoring 11 of his 21 points in the first quarter. He shot 8-of-17 from the field, hit three 3-pointers, and added 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 blocks.

George, meanwhile, made the most of the reunion. He scored his 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-11 from 3-point range, in 30 minutes.

The result moved Boston to 9-2 and first in the East. The two teams are not scheduled to meet again through December 30, so whatever comes next between Brown and Tatum will have to wait.