Jayson Tatum Injury Update Raises New Concern for Celtics

The Boston Celtics are in control of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic after winning both home contests this week. Following their 109-100 defeat of Orlando on Wednesday night, Boston is halfway to the conference semifinals, as they survived Game 2 without superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who suffered a bone bruise in his right wrist during the series opener.

According to a report by MassLive’s Brian Robb, Tatum is questionable for Game 3, but more concerning is that the 27-year-old’s injury isn’t expected to fully heal for “several weeks.”

“A source told MassLive that Tatum’s absence is a pain tolerance and mobility issue after he suffered a hard fall following a flagrant foul from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 1 win,” Robb wrote. “His availability for Game 3 remains a question mark with the reality that this is a type of injury that will likely take several weeks to fully heal. How much it improves in the coming days will ultimately decide whether Tatum is cleared to give it a go.”

Wednesday was the Celtics’ first playoff tilt without Tatum in the lineup in nine years. The six-time All-Star had taken the floor for 114 straight postseason games dating back to his 2017-2018 rookie campaign prior to his Game 2 absence.

Celtics Need to Balance Risk, Reward of Resting Tatum

Robb explained in his report that as the heavily favored No. 2 seed playing the seventh-seeded Magic, the Celtics may be able to play it safe with Tatum’s injury and rest him again not only in Game 3, but perhaps for the rest of the first round. Doing so comes with some risk, however.

“For now, the Celtics could afford to be cautious with the All-Star with a comfortable 2-0 lead heading into Orlando. The challenge will get tougher on the road but the fact Jaylen Brown is looking much like himself a few weeks removed from a bone bruise could tempt Boston to let him heal up until the team actually loses a game,” Robb wrote. “The other side of that equation is risking a longer series with Orlando if they elect to be cautious with Tatum. The Celtics had the best road record in the NBA this year but manufacturing offense could be a challenge against a tough Orlando defense at Amway Arena without Tatum in the fold.”

Just days ahead of the start of the first round, it was reported that Tatum’s co-star, Jaylen Brown, had received pain management injections in his injured right knee in an effort to “promote healing” before the playoffs. Brown missed the final three games of the regular season but returned for the beginning of the playoffs.

Following a 16-point, five-rebound performance in Game 1 on 6-for-14 shooting, Brown carried the load without his sidekick on Wednesday. Last year’s Finals MVP finished the victory with a game-high 36 points and tied teammates Kristaps Porzingis and Al Horford with a game-best 10 rebounds.

Brown on Game 2: ‘I Got Lucky, I Guess’

What makes the Celtics so dangerous isn’t just their elite Brown/Tatum pairing, but their depth as well.

“JB” discussed how, while Tatum is considered the “leader,” he is also capable of going off during any given game.

“Obviously JT is the offensive leader of our team,” Brown said, per Robb. “We all kind of play off of him, but any given night I could rise to the occasion. I just do what the team needs me to do. I’ve taken that mentality, and I think sometimes people think that’s the only thing that you can do. So tonight I got lucky, I guess, but we’ll be ready for the next one.”