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Paul George flips the script — and the bird — in Philadelphia return originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
PG-13 was rated R in his return to Philadelphia.
The middle finger Paul George directed toward one baseline fan only reinforced that rating on a night he poured in 36 points.
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Tuesday night was expected to revolve around Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum sharing an NBA court as opponents for the first time. Instead, the other prominent player in the summer’s blockbuster trade stole the show.
George scored a game-high 36 points in Boston’s 123-101 win over the Sixers. He shot 14 for 22 from the floor, made six of his 11 three-point attempts and scored 14 consecutive Boston points in the fourth quarter.
The game was tied at 79 with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter. Boston outscored Philadelphia 44-22 from that point forward.
The Celtics went nine minutes and 20 seconds without making a two-point field goal during the second half. Instead, they made nine consecutive field goals from three, the second-longest such streak by a Sixers opponent over the last 30 seasons.
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Payton Pritchard opened the fourth with consecutive threes. George followed with eight straight points, helping the Celtics begin the quarter on a 14-0 run that turned a competitive game into a rout.
George’s return carried a complicated history. His two seasons with the Sixers were repeatedly interrupted by injuries, but he also played a significant role in their most memorable playoff run in years.
Last spring, George helped the Sixers overcome a 3-1 deficit to eliminate Boston in seven games. He averaged 17.4 points and shot 55 percent from three during the series.
Tyrese Maxey was happy to see his former teammate Tuesday, even if he disliked what followed.
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“It was good to see Paul,” Maxey said. “I love him, love his family. … He gave us everything he had while he was here. We know what he did in the playoffs last year. Great person, great family, and we’ll see him again.”
Maxey then added one important qualifier.
“I wanted him to score zero points.”
George instead scored from nearly everywhere.
“He had…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/paul-george-flips-script-bird-023500511.html
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Publish date : 2026-11-11 02:35:00
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