Speaking to reporters after dominating the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the beef between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The reported breakdown in the relationship between Tatum and Brown over the last year became a massive talking point among NBA circles.

This tension between the two made their first official encounter as rivals a must-see affair. And while Tatum got the last laugh on the court, Mazzulla believes the All-NBA star had nothing to prove coming into tonight’s game.

Joe Mazzulla applauds Jayson Tatum’s ’emotional maturity’ after tense showdown with Jaylen Brown

Speaking to reporters after their win over the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla responded to a question about how he felt Jayson Tatum handled the emotions of the tense clash against Jaylen Brown.

Mazzulla dismissed the idea that Tatum had to come into the game with a level of aggression, as there was no major infraction on Brown’s part. But he still praised his star player for the way he performed on a night where the outside noise could have served as a distraction.

Mazzulla said: “They’re just words. It’s not like his life’s threatened. There’s no weapons. No one is throwing anything at him. No one is attacking him. So it’s not really that big of a deal. He’s probably been dealing with the spotlight since he was like 12 years old. Outside of physical altercations, I thought he would be fine.

“But to me, he doesn’t get enough credit for his emotional stability or his emotional intelligence. He just has an innate ability to stay focused on the things that he can control and the things that matter most.

“It’s unfair to him, because sometimes his quietness comes off as aloof, that he doesn’t pay attention or doesn’t care, when it is the opposite. He’s just highly emotionally intelligent…

“He cares about being a great teammate, and he cares about winning. It’s easy for him to handle stuff like this because of who he is…”

On the night, Tatum had a strong outing, scoring 21 points, with six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks to round out a big win for the Celtics.

For many, the highlight of Tatum’s performance was his posterising dunk on LeBron James in the third quarter, which reminded many fans of the dunk he pulled off against James in the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals.

However, for all the talk about the burgeoning rivalry between Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics star got the last laugh in what proved to be a tepid affair.