Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s status will be worth monitoring heading into Saturday’s Game 7 vs. the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden.
Tatum exited Thursday’s Game 6 loss during the third quarter and didn’t play in the fourth. Boston’s bench played most of the final frame as Philly cruised to a 106-93 victory, but Tatum wore a wrap around his left leg — not the same leg he tore his Achilles on during last year’s playoffs.
“Y’all probably saw when I went to the back,” Tatum said. “So, I was on the bike. My leg was just a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter. But just kind of assessing the moment, like, the game was a little out of reach. We took the starters out.”
Tatum added that he expects to play in Game 7 and “wasn’t overly concerned” about his left leg.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla also downplayed the issue, stating that Tatum wasn’t hurt.
“He just stretched and got some treatment, that’s it,” he said.
It doesn’t sound like Tatum is dealing with anything serious. Nonetheless, his leg will be among the top storylines leading up to and during Saturday’s do-or-die showdown in Boston.
The Celtics will need the best version of Tatum after being outclassed in Games 5 and 6. After scoring only 11 points in the fourth quarter on Tuesday, Boston tallied only 14 in the third quarter and trailed by as many as 23 points in Thursday’s defeat.
Tatum was one of the few bright spots before his exit, notching 17 points and 11 rebounds.
The winner of Saturday’s Game 7 (7:30 p.m. ET on NBC) will meet the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
