November 9, 2026 at 4:46 AM UTC

Pregame Analysis

Brown's Reunion Night Puts a Hot Sixers Team Against a Healthy Celtics Squad

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Jaylen Brown meets his old team as Philadelphia's 9-2 start gets a real test from a healthy Boston group.

This page is the pregame analysis. The box score is the main page for the game, and the matchup history collects every meeting between these teams.

The headline in Philadelphia is Jaylen Brown facing Boston for the first time since the June trade. He told reporters Sunday there is "nothing to talk about" with Jayson Tatum, and said he hasn't spoken to or seen him since the deal. He also wasn't sure whether he would feel emotional. That is plenty of intrigue, but the more useful question is whether Brown can channel it the way he has all season. He is averaging 22.3 points and scored 29 in Sunday's 127-121 win over Chicago.

The Sixers are 9-2, and LeBron James has said part of the reason he joined the team was the acquisition of Brown. That adds weight to the night: Philadelphia is a high-stakes home team facing the club that moved on from its former star.

Boston should not be an easy visitor. The Celtics are 7-2 and healthy, and Tatum is back from a rest night after scoring 34 points with nine assists and eight rebounds in three quarters of a 119-80 rout of Charlotte. He leads Boston at 27.9 points per game, and the starters were pulled early, so they should be fresh.

The matchup details give Boston a path. Philadelphia is thin up front, with Adem Bona and Dominick Barlow out and Ariel Hukporti done for the season. The Sixers also showed cracks in a 119-95 NBA Cup loss to Cleveland, and Chicago scored 25 fastbreak points by using its athleticism against an older lineup. Boston can push the pace and test that frontcourt.

Still, Philadelphia's form, its home floor and Brown's motivation should be enough in a tight game. Expect Tatum to keep Boston close, but the Sixers get a late stop or two and hold on.

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