BOSTON — Jayson Tatum (wrist) will miss the first playoff game of his career on Wednesday night when the Celtics take on the Magic in Game 2 of their first round series. The All-Star forward was originally listed as doubtful by the team on the injury report Tuesday but was downgraded an hour before tip.
“I know he’s doing everything he can to put himself in a position to play,” Joe Mazzulla said before Game 2. “Just going to take it day-to-day.”
Tatum suffered a bone bruise in his right wrist in the fourth quarter of Game 1 when he landed hard on the court after a flagrant foul by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Tatum played through the injury over the final eight minutes of Boston’s Game 1 win, but was also able to take part in some of the team’s practice on Tuesday.
“He was able to do some stuff,” Joe Mazzulla said. “He was sore after the game, he’s gotten a little bit better today. He was able to go through some on court work and we’ll go from there.”
Tatum has played 114 consecutive playoff games for the Celtics since his rookie season in 2017-18 without missing a game. He’s been one of the most durable players in the NBA over his career, having never missed more than 10 regular season games in a year over his eight years in Boston.
Several Celtics players took issue with the foul on Tatum that led to his injury in Game 1.
“There was something extra,” Horford said of the Caldwell-Pope foul. ‘There was a lot – it was the second or third time that especially KCP went at him in that way.”
Magic players defended the Caldwell-Pope, stating that there was no actual malice beyond a hard foul.
“It just reminds you of what the playoffs are and the intensity that you play with,” Horford said. ‘We’re all competing. We’re playing hard. There’s a level to it. In the regular season, you probably don’t see it as consistent. In the playoffs, there’s a lot of it. That’s just a reminder.”
The Celtics went 8-2 this season in games that Tatum did not suit up with both losses coming against the Magic.
“I think that’s what makes us so dangerous, that we just have a really well-balanced team,” Tatum said after Game 1. “And guys step up and it can be different guys on any night. And everybody else just kind of figures out their part to make sure we win.”
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