What started as a promising playoff run turned into heartbreak for Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
Boston held a commanding 3-1 advantage against Philadelphia in their Eastern Conference first-round matchup. The six-time All-Star, who had returned from Achilles surgery ahead of schedule, was putting up 24.8 points per game through the opening four contests.
However, Philadelphia dominated Boston at home in Game 5, and Tatum limped off during the second half of Game 6 as the 76ers claimed another victory.
Whether head coach Joe Mazzulla kept Tatum on the bench in Game 6 due to injury concerns or because his squad was down 23 points in the final quarter remained unclear.
Tatum’s availability for Sunday’s decisive seventh game continued to deteriorate, and officials declared him unable to play two hours before the opening tip.
The four-time All-NBA first team selection watched from the sideline in civilian attire as Philadelphia completed their series comeback with a 109-100 victory.
Speaking with reporters Sunday, Tatum discussed his pride in returning to action and his disappointment with recent events.
“My recovery and comeback (from the Achilles injury) were going so well that how it ended, I didn’t think it was going to end that way,” said Tatum. “It was just unfortunate.”
“I worked really, really, really, really hard to come back in the fashion that I did and play at the level I was playing at. So for it to end the way it did was a tough pill to swallow.”
Tatum clarified that NBA return-to-play protocols required careful handling of his left knee stiffness. Both the Celtics medical staff and his personal trainer Nick Sang determined he couldn’t participate Saturday.
The Boston forward acknowledged Sunday that he hadn’t been at peak performance since returning March 6 against Dallas. He estimated his condition at roughly 80-85 percent and noted his right leg remains shorter than his left.
During 11 March contests, the star player logged 31.0 minutes nightly, increasing to 36.2 minutes across five April regular season games. While his scoring average (21.8) and shooting percentages (41.1% from the field, 32.9% from three-point range) fell slightly below career standards, he grabbed a career-high 10.0 rebounds per game entering the postseason.
Despite the disappointing conclusion, Tatum expressed no second thoughts about his aggressive 10-month recovery timeline to help this season’s squad.
“I’m happy and proud of the fact that I was able to do that,” Tatum said. “And, unfortunately, if somebody else has to deal with this, they can look at what I was able to do and have some hope and inspiration that it’s not what people used to think it was. And you can come back from this and be who you were and hopefully be better.”
