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The exclamation point of the Celtics' 105-87 win over division rival Philadelphia came midway through the fourth quarter when Jaylen Brown lowered his head and led the race to the basket.
Joel Embiid, a tall, imposing man, entered his path and while Brown climbed to the dunk, Embiid managed to hit the ball with both hands. And yet, in a way, the ball always passed.
Brown turned and stared at the Sixers' center. He might as well have indicated the dashboard: 94-79 Celtics.
"I knew he was coming," Brown told ESPN. "I had bad intentions, I had very bad intentions.
"It's a bit stuck, but I've mastered it in the basket."
"It was not a dunk, it was a block," replied Embiid. "I had it with both hands, then he had a lucky roll. And it ended up coming in. It was technically a block. I'm sure he knows it was not a dunk. "
Brown and Embiid are too young to remember Moses saying "for, for" or for Larry Bird retorting "Moses eats s —", but once upon a time, the Sixers-Celtics rivalry was one of the more entertaining – – and intense – match up ups in the NBA.
There is reason to believe that another nascent competition is brewing between these two teams. Philadelphia built his team around Embiid and Ben Simmons, who got 2 assists from a triple double on Tuesday. The Celtics vs. Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
And then, there is an NBA project last June, when the Celtics gave the Sixers its # 1 pick in exchange for choice # 3 and a coveted first round pick of the first round.
Philly took Markelle Fultz, who missed most of last season with shoulder problems. Boston took Jayson Tatum, the player they've always wanted, who has become one of the brightest rookies in his class. On Tuesday night, he tied Embiid's 23 points with 9 rebounds and 3 assists.
After Boston's convincing victory over Philly Tuesday night at TD Garden, neither team was willing to declare that a border war with the Atlantic Division was in session.
"This is not a rivalry," said Embiid. "JJ (Redick) m had mentioned earlier that we had a score of 2-10 against them, maybe other people consider it a rivalry, but not me … we have to find a way to beat them, they're even better this year and we have to do the same before we can talk about rivalries. "
Brown said that he wanted to whistle on Embiid to make up for the blocked shot that the big man had offered him earlier in the match while he was trying to score in transition. Brown says that he and Embiid know each other and that there is respect, but a rivalry?
"I think it's too early," Brown said. "We come to play and do what we are supposed to do, it's more of a rivalry between the fans, between us – they are just another team."
He insisted he knew he really considered the Sixers, who should compete with Boston for the supremacy of the Eastern Conference, "like another team," answered Brown a lot of hype. There are a lot of teams in the East who are good, maybe just as good or better than they are.
"But I like the intensity and the hype when we play them, I'll give you that."
Sixers' new general manager, Elton Brand, fondly remembers Boston's time against Philly, but concedes that his team has a long way to go before they can defend their goal.
"I guess we could be proud of Dr. J and that group, or my group that took Boston to Match 7, but we're not there yet," Brand said. "But it will be exciting – you see the talent we have and the talent they have, and it is not far off."
Embiid lamented an opportunity lost Tuesday night and confessed to ESPN that his mind was elsewhere. On the same date, four years ago, Embiid's little brother, Arturo, was hit and killed by a car in his native Cameroon.
"It was hard to play that day," said Embiid. "Concentration was a problem, it was hard for me, but it's basketball."
Embiid insisted that the day would have been tough, no matter who they were playing.
Celtics-Sixers. Both teams claim that there is nothing to do.
"But I guess we'll see," Brown said. "There are still a lot of games to play."
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