PHILADELPHIA — The expected boos that rained down Tuesday night upon Jayson Tatum in Philadelphia were loud and long, the work of a fan base not simply using pregame introductions to taunt their enemy in green, but to support one of their own.
Jaylen Brown is on their side now, and in the wake of the stunning offseason trade that brought Brown to Philly, this home crowd was going to make sure Tatum would not soon forget how much his onetime sidekick is their new favorite.
Yet in the haste to shower Tatum with their ire, those same fans barely reacted to an earlier Celtic introduction, glossing over Paul George’s return to the city as if his two years here had never happened. In the shifting rooting interests of our sporting hearts, the relative silence floated overhead like a sad reminder: Indifference can sting worse than hate.
This is Paul George, the centerpiece sent to Boston for the right to land Brown. The nine-time NBA All Star, the six-time all NBA forward, and consummate all-around weapon.
This is Paul George, reduced to undercard for the Jayson/Jaylen main event that took over the NBA conversation.
This is Paul George, the forgotten man, but the man who had a night to remember.
Sports, once again, the greatest reality show of them all, ready to upend expectations and defy convention. Because this is Paul George, leading scorer in a decisive 123-101 Celtics victory, a virtuoso 36-point performance amid what was supposed to be someone else’s show.
This is Paul George, raining threes across a dominant second half, when the Celtics — tied at 76 with four minutes to go in the third quarter — fought back the relentless Sixers with a 26-3 run to erase a game-long lead they had completely squandered.
“He took ownership of those fourth-quarter minutes. That’s what we needed,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You can’t run away from the obvious things that are going on, but he’s been traded [three] times, so not the first time he had to go through something like that.”
While George had his personal storyline to follow, the buildup to Tuesday’s game was centered around a different personal drama, focused on the Tatum/Brown relationship — or more precisely, the lack thereof. The frostiness as the two faced each other professionally for the first time since their forced breakup rocked the NBA landscape was obvious even as Tatum tried to act normal. Brown barely moved when Tatum attempted a pre-game, post-introduction handshake, leaving the remaining Celtics’ Jay to walk to his starting position with the memory of a much more enthusiastic hug from LeBron James to comfort him.
No wonder this grudge match was the league’s undisputed main event, showcased on national television, talked about everywhere. As Sixers coach Nick Nurse said early on, “I think this is probably one, maybe the one that people were circling in the summertime when the schedule came out. … It’s finally here, and everybody gets to let out all that anticipation.”
But here’s the thing about personal dramas. In sports, when the stakes rise and the standings are in play, personnel matters matter more than personal ones. And as these two franchises make their way across a grueling NBA season, as they each move ahead with retooled rosters and reimagined dreams, Tuesday’s referendum wasn’t so much about what Jayson and Jaylen meant to each other in the past, but what they can mean to their teams going forward.
And wouldn’t it be something if the trade ends up being a net gain for both sides? As early returns go, that’s the way the needle is pointing.
Tuesday’s game played out less as a beef bowl between Brown and Tatum and more of a potential playoff preview between two Eastern Conference contenders. The Sixers lost this one, but with that roster, and that talent, they’re not going away.
But this night was for the Celtics, exploding out of the gates on Tatum’s back, his 11 first-quarter points building a 7-point lead at the first break.
And then it was George, the new Tatum sidekick who seems perfectly content to take on a supporting role. By halftime, it was George’s 17 points pushing the Celtics out to an 11-point advantage, his ability to be in the right place at the right time reflective of the way this rebuilt roster is finding its way.
When he really took control in the fourth, allowing Tatum to rest on the bench, his final 3-pointer was the dagger, forcing a Sixers timeout and a surrender in the way of cleaning the bench.
His primal scream said it all, and not for any ill will toward Philly — he insisted former teammates there remain his “brothers” — but for the joy he is finding in Boston.
“That was fun,” he said. “That was fun. But I think the most fun is the camaraderie we have. Just being around these guys, the locker room, the flights, that’s the most fun that I’ve had in a while. It’s just a good group of guys out there competing together, and then it transfers on the court. You see how much fun we have off the court and how we play on it.”
Tara Sullivan is a Globe columnist. She can be reached at tara.sullivan@globe.com. Follow her @Globe_Tara.