PHILADELPHIA — Paul George was the ultimate afterthought in the trade that sent shockwaves through the NBA this summer. The Boston Celtics moved star guard Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for George and a few picks — and all the talk was about Brown. Then, the attention shifted to the working relationship between Brown and Celtics star Jayson Tatum. Did they hate each other? Did Tatum allow Boston to trade his on-court partner in crime of nine years?

Once again, George was not a talking point. However, he showed why he should be on Tuesday night in South Philly. The nine-time All-Star torched his former squad, dropping 36 points (with just 1 turnover) on 63.6 shooting from the floor en route to a 123-101 win for the Celtics. George also converted on 6 of his 11 shots from deep and took advantage of Philly's subpar defense, which left him open the perimeter several times.

Brown didn't have the revenge game he wanted, recording 13 points and 4 turnovers in under 30 minutes of play, as early foul trouble kept him on the bench longer than usual. His former counterpart, Tatum, tallied 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists in the emotionally-charged win.

The 9-2 Celtics have now won four games in a row and usurped first place in the Eastern Conference from the 9-3 Sixers.