Bill Simmons assures fans he ‘always liked’ Celtics star Paul George amid 76ers routing

Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesBill Simmons assures fans he ‘always liked’ Celtics star Paul George amid 76ers routing appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.Paul George stole the show for the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, and Bill Simmons suddenly found himself as one of the veteran forward’s biggest fans. George torched his former team as the Celtics routed the Philadelphia 76ers 123-101 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.Shortly after the game, Simmons, The Ringer founder and a lifelong Celtics fan, took to X with a tongue-in-cheek declaration of support.“Paul George — I’ve always liked him!!!!!” Simmons wrote on X, formerly Twitter.Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)It is easy to see why Simmons was feeling the love. The 36-year-old was sensational in his first game against Philadelphia since being traded to Boston, finishing with 36 points and five rebounds. He was efficient all night long, shooting 14-of-22 from the field, 6-of-11 from deep and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.George set the tone early, pouring in 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the first half alone as Boston took a 62-51 lead into the break. The Sixers made a push in the third quarter, but the Celtics pulled away for good in the fourth, outscoring Philadelphia 32-19 and building a lead that reached 29 points.The performance carried some extra weight for nine-time NBA All-Star. Before the game, he was asked about how he would be received in Philadelphia, where his two seasons were limited by injuries and a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy.“I’m not sure. In some ways, I helped land them a future piece,” George said, referring to Jaylen Brown.While much of the pregame buzz centered on Brown’s first meeting with Jayson Tatum since the trade, it was George who stole the spotlight. Tatum chipped in 21 points, six rebounds and four assists, while Payton Pritchard added 18 points.For Philadelphia, Tyrese Maxey led the way with 24 points. LeBron James was held to 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Boston improved to 9-2 with the win, while Philadelphia fell to 9-3.The Celtics will look to keep rolling when they visit the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Simmons, for one, will surely be watching George closely.Related: 76ers HC Nick Nurse reveals why Jaylen Brown had ‘no chance to get going’ vs. CelticsRelated: Nick Nurse gives Celtics’ Paul George props for 36-point performance against the 76ers