Jayson Tatum Sits Out Game 2 with Wrist Injury as Celtics Overcome Magics

Celtics’ standout forward Jayson Tatum missed out on his first playoff game on Wednesday night due to a bone bruise in his right wrist. Despite his absence, Boston managed to triumph over the Orlando Magic with a 109-100 victory in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. The six-time All-Star was ruled out about an hour before the match commenced. Previously doubtful with the injury sustained during Boston’s 103-86 win in Game 1, Tatum drew attention by skipping his usual pregame shooting routine with teammate Jaylen Brown.

Clad in casual attire and sporting a black wrap on his wrist, Tatum joined his team just ahead of the game. Throughout the contest, he provided support by cheering and engaging with teammates, coaches, and trainers during timeouts. Notably, Tatum had participated in all 114 potential playoff games throughout his eight seasons with the Celtics. In the previous regular season, he appeared in 72 games, leading the team in scoring, rebounds, and assists per game. ESPN Research highlighted that the Celtics maintained an 8-2 record in regular-season games without Tatum.

During a media session two hours before the game, coach Joe Mazzulla mentioned that Tatum had managed some on-court activities on Wednesday. “He’s doing all he can to be ready to play,” Mazzulla shared, “He’ll be evaluated day by day.” The injury occurred during a collision with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. as Tatum attempted a two-handed dunk on Sunday. Despite a hard fall on his wrist and a resulting flagrant foul on Caldwell-Pope, Tatum stayed in the game, contributing 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds while visibly nursing his wrist pain. An X-ray following the game came back positive, revealing no significant damage.

Celtics veteran Al Horford, who filled in for Tatum’s role, criticized the intensity of Orlando’s play against Tatum. “There was definitely something extra,” Horford remarked on Tuesday, referencing multiple instances of aggressive play, especially from Caldwell-Pope. As the best-of-seven series transitions to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday, the Celtics aim to continue their momentum.