Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics, the NBA’s Eastern Conference No. 2 seed, find themselves in a hard-fought battle against the Orlando Magic. Despite the Celtics being up 3-1 after two road games in Orlando, the Magic have used their defensive prowess to make things difficult for Boston on the offensive end.
Boston’s star forward Jayson Tatum has seen the brunt of the Magic’s tenacious defense this first-round series, with a flagrant foul in Game 1. Tatum injured his right wrist and was forced to miss the first playoff game of his career.
He returned to action in Game 3 and has looked like his dominant self. Tatum scored a game-high 37 points in Game 4, including 16 in the final quarter, and grabbed 14 boards. He also went 14-for-14 from the line and added three assists and three steals.
Celtics’ First-Round Slugfest vs. Magic
No different from any other postseason, the referees have allowed a physical brand of basketball this year. But the Celtics-Magic series has seen the level of physicality reach another level.
Tatum’s performance came as the Celtics struggled against the Magic’s defense, which limited Boston to just 31 3-point attempts — 17 fewer than the team that averaged a league-high 48.4 during the regular season.
Jaylen Brown warned before Game 4 that a fight might break out if the physicality isn’t officiated appropriately.
“There might be a fight break out or something, because it’s starting to feel like it’s not even basketball, and the refs is not controlling their environment,” Brown told reporters. “It is what it is. If we want to fight it out, we can do that. We can fight to see who goes to the second round.”
Worrisome News for Jayson Tatum
While the Celtics’ superstar has produced since his absence in Game 2, scoring 36 and 37 points respectively, Tatum gave an update about his wrist injury.
Tatum detailing “how serious” his wrist injury is can be concerning for the Celtics moving forward. His will to return and sustain elite play while dealing with the pain is admirable. But the longer this series goes, the higher the risk of him reaggravating the injury.
Boston needs to close out this series in Game 5 to allow its star time to heal. If the Celtics move to the second round, the physicality won’t get any easier, though, as the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons are also two defensive-minded teams.
New York finds itself in a similar position as Boston, with both teams up three games to one in their respective series, but wins haven’t come easy. The Knicks and Celtics could be a ’90s-style defensive battle for the ages, if both teams advance and meet in the semifinals.
