Will Jayson Tatum be at full strength for the Boston Celtics in the upcoming playoff game against the Orlando Magic? The Celtics have started their postseason push again and hope to defend their NBA championship by making franchise history with back-to-back titles. Surprisingly, that hasn’t happened since the 1960s, and doing so would cement their place in NBA history.
Having Tatum perform at a high level is key to Boston’s success. Unfortunately, the Celtics’ star suffered a wrist injury in Game 1 of their first-round matchup with the Magic. While the Celtics are still expected to win the series with or without him, head coach Joe Mazzulla recently shared an update on the All-Star’s status.
Both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Are Now Dealing With Injuries
While Boston defeated the Magic in Game 1 as expected, the win came at a cost. In the fourth quarter, Tatum drove to the rim and attempted a dunk over Orlando’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. His attempt was contested, and Tatum fell hard to the floor, holding his wrist.
In a recent interview, Mazzulla said the injury wasn’t too serious and that Tatum had already resumed some training activity.
“He was able to do some stuff. He was sore after the game. It’s gotten a little better today. He was able to do some on-court work, and we’ll go from there,” Mazzulla said.
Joe Mazzulla called Jayson Tatum “day-to-day” and that he was able to do some stuff at practice.
Said he was a bit sore after Game 1. pic.twitter.com/IjWoKMsu2Z
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214)
The missed dunk clearly impacted Tatum. Still, he played a team-high 40 minutes in Game 1, finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists. He struggled to score, though, hitting just eight of his 22 shots and was only 1-of-8 from 3-point range.
Tatum’s co-star Jaylen Brown didn’t have much more luck. Dealing with a reported bone bruise and undergoing injections to aid recovery, Brown played 30 minutes and ended with 16 points on 6-of-14 shooting, with five rebounds and two assists.
Despite quiet performances from their two stars, the Celtics pulled off the win thanks to a team-high 30 points from Derrick White and 19 off the bench from Payton Pritchard.
Even with Tatum and Brown playing through minor injuries, Boston’s depth has shown it’s capable of stepping up when needed.
Since X-rays on Tatum’s wrist came back negative, he has been cleared to play in Game 2 against the Magic. It’s unlikely he’ll have another off night scoring, but even if he does, the Celtics have made it clear they can win without him. It would be concerning, though, for Boston’s championship thoughts if he were to miss an extended period.
