Jaylen Brown marks his 30th birthday with 27 points as the 76ers beat the Bucks and stay unbeaten: ‘It goes by fast’

Jaylen Brown spent his 30th birthday leading the Philadelphia 76ers in scoring, pouring in 27 points in a 127-116 home win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, October 24, a result that keeps Philadelphia unbeaten at 3-0 with LeBron James sitting out.

Afterward, Brown sounded more reflective than celebratory. “It’s a blessing and it goes by fast,” he said of reaching 30, adding that he is happy to be in Philadelphia and is looking toward what comes next.

How Brown got to 27

Brown made 9 of his 19 shots, hit three 3-pointers and went a perfect 6 for 6 at the free-throw line. He added five assists, three steals and three rebounds.

His biggest shot also completed a teammate’s night. With the Bucks pushing late, Brown buried a 3-pointer off a feed from Joel Embiid to make it 120-114. That pass was Embiid’s 10th assist, finishing a triple-double of 28 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope then hit a 3 off a turnover to push the lead to nine and end the threat.

Philadelphia needed the scoring spread. With James held out to manage his lower back, three Sixers reached 26 points: Brown, Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who had 26. VJ Edgecombe chipped in 17 points and a dozen rebounds. Jaime Jaquez Jr. led Milwaukee, now 0-3, with 21 points.

A new home, a fast start

The birthday line is Brown’s best yet in a 76ers uniform. He opened his Philadelphia tenure with 19 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in the Tuesday win over the New York Knicks, his first game since his summer trade from the Boston Celtics, where he spent his entire career before this season. The deal and its aftermath have followed him into the season, including his public back-and-forth with Jayson Tatum over how the trade came about.

On the court, the fit has been smooth so far. Brown is now playing for one of the league’s fastest teams: this is the first team he has played on that ranks in the top 10 in pace, and his three steals on Saturday fit that style.

What comes next

There is no time to celebrate further. The 76ers finish a back-to-back by hosting the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, October 25, at 7:30 p.m. ET, and James is expected back. Follow it in the Pistons-76ers Game Center, and revisit Saturday’s numbers in the Bucks-76ers Game Center.