Tatum (knee) has been ruled out for Saturday's Game 7 against the 76ers, Shams Charania of ESPN reports.
It's a big blow for the Celtics, who are facing elimination after being up 3-1 in the series. Tatum appeared to sustain the injury during Game 6 on Thursday, and the issue is severe enough for the superstar forward to miss Saturday's contest. As he did for most of the regular season, Jaylen Brown will be the Celtics' top offensive option, and the Celtics will turn to Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman and others to take on larger roles on both ends of the floor without Tatum.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Now questionable for Game 7
Rotowire
Tatum is listed as questionable for Saturday's Game 7 against the 76ers due to left knee stiffness, Keith Smith of Spotrac.com reports.
Tatum briefly went to the locker room during the second half of Game 6 on Thursday, and while he was cleared to return, his status for Saturday's elimination game is now up in the air. The superstar forward has given the Celtics a huge boost since his return in early March, and across the first six games of the series against the Sixers he has averaged 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 3.2 threes and 1.2 steals over 36.3 minutes per contest. If Tatum is unable to play or is limited by his knee issue, then the Celtics will turn to Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman and Jordan Walsh to pick up the load.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum is good to go for Saturday's Game 7 against the 76ers, Brian Robb of MassLive.com reports.
Tatum briefly went to the locker room during the second half of Game 6, but he downplayed it after the loss, saying they played it safe with the score out of hand. Additionally, Mazzulla said he has no concerns about Tatum's leg ahead of Game 7.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Adds 17 points in loss
Rotowire
Tatum provided 17 points (6-13 FG, 2-6 3Pt, 3-5 FT), 11 rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes during Thursday's 106-93 loss to Philadelphia in Game 6 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Tatum put together his second straight double-double but posted his worst offensive showing so far this series. There was some concern about Tatum's health after he briefly went to the locker room in the second half, but head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed after the game that the forward went back to stretch and get treatment, and that he'll be fine for Game 7, per Bobby Krivitsky of Forbes.com.
Tatum tallied 24 points (8-19 FG, 4-12 3Pt, 4-7 FT), 16 rebounds, four assists and three steals in 41 minutes during Tuesday's 113-97 loss to the 76ers in Game 5 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Tatum didn't deliver his most efficient performance but still led the Celtics in scoring, reaching the 20-point threshold for a third straight game. The star forward also grabbed a game-best 16 boards and has now racked up four double-doubles in this first-round series. Additionally, his three steals were a game high. Tatum and the Celtics will look to end the series in Thursday's Game 6 in Philadelphia.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Logs 30/7/11 double-double in win
Rotowire
Tatum ended Sunday's 128-96 victory over the 76ers in Game 4 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs with 30 points (8-16 FG, 5-10 3Pt, 9-9 FT), seven rebounds and 11 assists across 35 minutes.
Tatum was superb in Game 4, notching a double-double with 11 dimes, matching his season high. He also drilled five three-pointers, marking his highest result beyond the arc over four playoff games against the Sixers. The team didn't really need 35 minutes from Tatum, but Boston likely wanted to take care of business after dropping Game 2. Although he is at risk of logging fewer minutes if Game 5 gets out of hand, he is a great candidate to pace the team once again.
Tatum notched 25 points (9-17 FG, 5-9 3Pt, 2-3 FT), four rebounds, seven assists and one steal over 42 minutes during Friday's 108-100 win over the 76ers in Game 3 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Tatum came through in the clutch, nailing a three-pointer in the dying seconds to secure an important win in Game 3. He has now scored at least 25 points in two of the past three games, continuing to ramp up his production after missing the majority of the season with an Achilles injury. Now leading the series 2-1, Boston will look to hammer home the advantage when the two teams meet again in Game 4 on Sunday.
Tatum closed with 19 points (8-19 FG, 2-8 3Pt, 1-2 FT), 14 rebounds, nine assists and one steal across 39 minutes during Tuesday's 111-97 loss to Philadelphia in Game 2 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Tatum was ice cold from beyond the arc but missed out on a triple-double by just one assist. Through two postseason contests, he's averaging 22.0 points, 12.5 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.5 steals on 47.2 percent shooting from the field.
... See More... See Less
Celtics' Jayson Tatum: Full line in Game 1 win
Rotowire
Tatum logged 25 points (9-17 FG, 1-7 3Pt, 6-6 FT), 11 rebounds, seven assists and two steals over 32 minutes during the Celtics' 123-91 victory over the 76ers in Game 1 of the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs Sunday.
Tatum steered the Celtics to a 15-point first-quarter lead and logged 10 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a steal while playing all 12 minutes of the frame. He led the Celtics in both rebounds and assists and finished as the team's second-leading scorer behind Jaylen Brown (26 points). Tatum has logged 10 double-doubles in 17 games since making his return from a torn Achilles on March 6. He may not be at the same level as he was before that serious injury, but his return has given Boston a huge boost on both ends of the floor as the team gears up for another playoff run.
0:52
1:31
1:58
1:59
1:54
1:57
12:36
1:06
1:41
1:10
1:11
1:20
6:04
15:38
1:44
1:59
1:54
1:05
2:05
