Jaylen Brown turned 30 on Saturday and celebrated with 27 points as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Milwaukee Bucks at home, their first win without LeBron James, as first reported by ClutchPoints. James sat out to manage back pain.
Brown was efficient: 9-of-19 from the field, 3-of-6 from deep and a perfect 6-of-6 at the line, plus 5 assists and 3 steals in 35 minutes. After the final horn, he tossed a ball into the stands for the fans.
Everybody Ate
Five Sixers scored in double figures. Joel Embiid posted a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Tyrese Maxey added 26, VJ Edgecombe had 17 points and 13 boards, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 12 with 3 steals.
Philly is now 3-0. The run started with a 106-100 opening-night win over the defending champion Knicks, per NY1, followed by a win over Cleveland.
The IAHHM Take
This is Brown’s 10th NBA season and his first outside of Boston. He came into the league at 19, and now he’s 30 with a new jersey and a lot to prove. A birthday bucket-fest without LeBron on the floor is exactly the kind of night that says he’s not just along for the ride.
The bigger story: Philly might be deep enough to survive nights when LeBron needs rest. With Embiid, Maxey and Brown all producing, the load management math changes. That’s how you stay fresh for May and June.
Real question: is this Sixers squad a real title threat, or are we getting fooled by a hot first week?
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Source: ClutchPoints
