Celtics Rumors: Injury Update On Jayson Tatum After Game 2 Absence

The Celtics are in a great spot in their first-round NBA playoff series against the Magic, but Boston currently is not in peak form.

The reigning champions gained a 2-0 series edge on Orlando despite Jayson Tatum not suiting up Wednesday night. The star forward didn’t even warm up before the Celtics’ 109-100 win at TD Garden after injuring his wrist in Sunday afternoon’s opener.

It remains unclear when Tatum will return to game action. But if Boston is waiting until the six-time All-Star is 100% healthy before he plays again, an imminent insertion into the lineup might not be on the table.

“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,” MassLive’s Brian Robb wrote in a column published Thursday. “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.”

Fortunately for Joe Mazzulla’s side, Wednesday night proved the Celtics don’t need Tatum to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals. With arguably the most talented roster in the playoff field, Boston still has a fair amount of runway before Tatum’s presence on the court becomes critically important to the team’s success.

So, we probably shouldn’t be surprised if Tatum takes on the role of spectator again Friday. Even though desperation is building for the Magic and they will be reenergized upon returning home, a Tatum-less Celtics team still should be able to handle a far less talented opponent with not nearly the same amount of postseason experience.