Paul George more than held his own against Jaylen Brown in seven-game, first-round series

For fans still irate that the Celtics not only traded Jaylen Brown, but dealt him to the Atlantic Division-rival 76ers, consider what 36-year-old Paul George did in that series when matched up against the former Celtics guard.

George, who will don No. 13 now for the Celtics following the offseason blockbuster trade, averaged 17.4 points per game over the final three games of the series -- all 76ers wins as they rallied past No. 2 Boston for the first-round victory. Not only that, but George shot 47.5 percent from the floor (19 of 40) and 52.1 percent from 3-point range (12 of 23) over the final three games of the series.

Still an elite defender, George's long-armed defense played a big role in Brown's efficiency tailing off badly as the series wore on. Brown averaged 24.3 points in the Celtics' final three losses of the series, but he shot just 41.7 percent from the floor (28 of 67) and only 31.5 percent from 3-point range (6 for 19).

Brown and George are at two drastically different stages of their careers, but when matched up against one another head-to-head over the final three games of the series, the 16-year veteran got the better of the younger, All-NBA guard.