Boston’s championship hopes may hang in the balance as All-Star forward Jayson Tatum faces uncertainty for Saturday evening’s decisive Game 7 matchup against Philadelphia, with team officials listing him as questionable due to left knee stiffness.
The 28-year-old star was sidelined for the final quarter of Thursday’s 106-93 defeat to the 76ers in their Eastern Conference opening round series, spending time on a stationary bicycle in the hallway while his teammates finished the contest.
Following Thursday’s loss, Tatum minimized concerns about his condition, explaining to the media: “You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike. My leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter. But just kind of assessing the moment, the game was a little out of reach.”
The knee discomfort is unrelated to the severe right Achilles tendon rupture that sidelined Tatum last May, an injury that occurred during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against New York and kept him away from basketball until March 6 of the current season.
“It was my other leg, not the one I injured last year,” Tatum clarified on Thursday. “I mean, I wasn’t like overly concerned. … I came out at four minutes, like I was supposed to. Just kind of assessed the game. (Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla) took the starters out fairly early in the fourth quarter.”
During Friday afternoon’s media conference call, head coach Mazzulla indicated that Tatum would be ready for the elimination game, while the player himself expressed confidence at Thursday’s press conference, stating: “I expect to play.”
Throughout the current series against Philadelphia, Tatum has posted impressive numbers with 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per contest.
During Game 3 of this series, Tatum reached a significant milestone by becoming just the fourth Celtic in franchise history to surpass 3,000 career playoff points. With 3,005 postseason points, he now ranks behind only legendary players Kevin McHale (3,182), John Havlicek (3,776), and all-time leader Larry Bird (3,897).
The six-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA first-team honoree, who has also captured two Olympic gold medals representing Team USA, maintains career averages of 23.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists across 601 NBA regular season appearances.
On Philadelphia’s injury report, Paul George is listed as probable despite battling an illness on his 36th birthday. Center Joel Embiid, recovering from appendix surgery, also carries a probable designation, while guard Tyrese Maxey has been cleared to play despite a finger injury.
