NEW Jayson Tatum injury update sends Celtics Game 2 hopes into freefall

According to Boston Celtics PR, Jayson Tatum is officially listed as DOUBTFUL to play in Game 2 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic. The injury report lists the injury as a “right distal radius bone bruise,” and Shams Charania of ESPN provided some reporting on the subject Tuesday evening.

“Sources tell me that Jayson Tatum underwent an MRI on that right wrist over the last 24 hours, and he has been diagnosed with a bone bruise in his shooting wrist,” Charania said. “It’s believed to be a pain-tolerance injury, something that the Celtics will be managing day-to-day, and his status is somewhat up in the air for Game 2 on Wednesday. 

“It’s very hard for a guy like Jayson Tatum to miss any period of time. He loves playing basketball, but that injury clearly might be something that lingers for a little bit, for someone who led the Celtics in points, rebounds, and assists for the entire playoffs in 2024, plus the Finals.”

New Jayson Tatum injury update: Doubtful for Game 2 vs. Magic

According to Cleveland Clinic, the best ways to treat a bone bruise include rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Medications, physical therapy, and immobilization (a splint, brace, or cast) can also be used to address the issue.

It’s unclear the degree to which Tatum’s radius bone is bruised, but considering Tatum’s history of not wanting to sit out games, the fact that he’s listed as doubtful should tell plenty.

Earlier in the day, Joe Mazzulla revealed that Tatum was able to go through some things during Celtics practice: “Yeah, he was able to do some stuff [at practice],” Mazzulla said of Tatum. “He was sore after the game. It's gotten a little better today. He was able to go through some on-court work, and he'll go from there.”

However, when asked whether or not Tatum would be able to play in Game 2, Mazzulla simply said that he will be "day-to-day."

The injury occured early in the fourth quarter of Game 1, when Kentavious Caldwell-Pope grabbed Tatum's arm on a layup attempt, bringing him crashing down to the floor. Caldwell-Pope was assessed a Flagrant 1 for the incident, and Al Horford was not pleased with the actions that went down.

“It was about the second or third time that [they], especially KCP, went at him in that way,” Horford said, noting that he thinks there was something 'extra' to the play. “So, yeah.”