BOSTON (AP) — Celtics star Jayson Tatum could miss the first playoff game of his career when Boston hosts the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series on Wednesday.
The six-time All-Star remained listed as doubtful Wednesday morning with a bone bruise in his right wrist that he suffered in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 103-86 victory Sunday.
Tatum has appeared in the playoffs in each of his eight NBA seasons, playing in all 114 possible games. He led the Celtics in points, assists and rebounds per game during the regular season.
With Boston leading 89-73 with 8:28 remaining in Game 1, Tatum went up for a dunk and was hit hard by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he tried to block it. Tatum landed awkwardly on his right side. After a video review by referees, Caldwell-Pope’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant foul.
Tatum finished the game and said afterward that an initial throbbing pain went away. He had a postgame X-ray that he said was clean.
He participated in parts of Boston’s practice session Tuesday and was described as day to day by coach Joe Mazzulla. An MRI at some point in the day revealed the bone bruise.
The Celtics were 8-2 during the regular season without Tatum. Both of those losses were to the Magic, but Boston rested all its starters in the final meeting in Orlando on April 9.
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press
