Regular-season basketball, especially before Christmas, isn't always must-see TV. However, the stars will be out on Tuesday night when the Boston Celtics face the rival Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena. There'll be drama galore, too, as the Celtics trading star guard Jaylen Brown to the Sixers was one of the biggest stories of the summer.
In the lead up to Tuesday's marquee matchup, Brown has hinted at some friction between him and Tatum, who he played alongside for nine years and won a title with in 2024. The offseason trade may have been a breaking point for their relationship, but a lot of the talk surrounding this drama is hearsay. Ignoring that outside noise will be key for Tatum if he wants to lead the 8-2 C's past the 9-2, Eastern
Conference-leading Sixers. It'll be hard to do though given all of the online chatter and constant questions from the media. That's where first-year Celtic and NBA vet Paul George can come in handy.
"Obviously, there's a lot of noise surrounding it that hopefully he's not lost in," George described of the high-profile contest on Tuesday morning, via CLNS Media. "But, it's our job to support him and help him through it, and make sure his focus is where it needs to be for us to come out here and have a chance to play against a really good team and continue to add to his MVP resume this season."
Since Day 1, George's mission for the 2026-27 season has been supporting Tatum. The nine-time All-Star openly accepted a No. 2 role with the Celtics and is committed to backing Boston's go-to guy up with timely buckets and tough defense.
And while he's focused on helping Tatum, he doesn't sound worried about him.
"JT, he's locked in," George stated. "He's as professional as they come of preparing for a game. He's been playing at a MVP level, and I think he's looking at it as another game on the schedule."
While every game does only count for one win or for one loss, the C's would move into first place in the East if they can beat the 76ers. A victory would also give Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens bragging rights, because he was one of the head decision-makers involved in sending Brown to Philly in exchange for George and a few picks.
“I hope that Jaylen felt like we always treated him great when he was here," Stevens said five days after dealing Brown.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: How Paul George plans to help Celtics star Jayson Tatum ahead of Sixers showdown
