Jayson Tatum’s 2025-26 season ended the same way it began: with the Boston Celtics star in street clothes watching his team lose to the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden.
Tatum’s absence from Saturday’s Game 7 was obviously more surprising. Even when he exited late in the third quarter of Thursday’s Game 6 with what the team initially called “left leg stiffness,” the issue didn’t appear to be serious.
In fact, Tatum downplayed the injury after that Game 6 loss in Philadelphia, insisting he “wasn’t overly concerned” and that he expected to play in Game 7. On Saturday afternoon, however, Tatum was added to the injury report with “left knee stiffness,” then was ruled out just two hours before tip-off.
The Celtics lost 109-100 without their superstar forward, blowing a 3-1 series lead for the first time in franchise history and abruptly ending what had been a feel-good season.
But considering Tatum is still less than 12 months removed from a ruptured right Achilles tendon that forced him to miss most of the regular season, there’s obviously concern about any lower-body injury, even if this injury was to the other leg.
Speaking to reporters Sunday afternoon, Tatum offered a bit more clarity on his left knee issue.
What caused Tatum’s injury?
Tatum said he “just experienced some tightness” in the back of his knee during Game 6, but didn’t elaborate further. He wasn’t surprised that a lower-body issue cropped up in the wake of his recovery from Achilles surgery, however.
“It was just unfortunate timing, but I guess a little bit to be expected, right?” Tatum said. “I was away for 10-and-a-half months and then I came back, and I’m playing every other day. I was playing 36 to 40 minutes (per game). So, it’s not unusual that something would come up.”
Tatum made his season debut on March 6 and averaged 32.6 minutes over 16 regular season games, then averaged 36.2 minutes per night in Games 1-6 vs. Philly.
“It was just kind of tough because rehab was just going so well the entire time,” Tatum said. “I guess it was inevitable at some point that I was gonna have to deal with something, and it just kind of came at the worst possible time.”
What led to the Celtics ruling Tatum out?
Tatum told reporters he was “still in the window of return-to-play protocol” stemming from his Achilles surgery, and that “there were just certain rules and a plan that ultimately we had to stick by.”
So, even though the injury was to his opposite leg, the team decided to hold him out of Game 7. The decision was made jointly by the Celtics’ coaching staff, the medical team and trainer Nick Sang, who worked closely with Tatum throughout his rehab.
“It was tough, right?” Tatum said. “Obviously working as hard as I did to come back and to be available, and for it to come to a Game 7, not being able to be out there, it was — I just keep saying this is unfortunate. It’s tough to deal with, but it’s a plan that we had to stick to.”
Could Tatum have played if Celtics advanced?
The good news for Celtics fans: Tatum doesn’t believe this is a long-term injury. In fact, he was adamant that he could have played against the New York Knicks in the second round had Boston won Game 7 on Saturday night.
“It was definitely a day-to-day thing,” Tatum said. “So, it sounds pretty vague, but it was just something we would have assessed from day-to-day.
“It wasn’t like a long-term thing. I know for a fact I would’ve been able to play if we had made it to the second round. So, we were just taking it day by day.”
Tatum added that strengthening both legs will be a point of emphasis this summer. The Celtics are facing their longest offseason since 2016, so he’ll have ample time to get his body right before hitting the ground running in the fall.
