BOSTON (AP) — Celtics star Jayson Tatum missed a playoff game for the first time in his career Wednesday night, sitting out with a bone bruise in his right wrist as Boston beat the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the teams' Eastern Conference first-round series.
The six-time All-Star was declared out about an hour before tipoff. He had been listed listed as doubtful with the injury, which he suffered in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 103-86 victory on Sunday.
Boston was fine without Tatum. All-Star Jaylen Brown led the way with 36 points and 10 rebounds as the Celtics won 109-100.
Tatum was not on the court for the pregame shooting that he usually does alongside Brown.
He joined his teammates in the bench area just before tipoff, wearing street clothes and a black wrap around his injured wrist. He cheered at times during the action and spoke with teammates, trainers and coaches during timeouts.
Tatum has appeared in the playoffs in each of his eight NBA seasons, and before Wednesday, he had played in all 114 of Boston's games during that span. He led the Celtics in points, assists and rebounds per game this season.
During his media availability about two hours before the game, coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum had been able to do some on-court work Wednesday.
“I know he’s doing everything he can to put himself in position to play," Mazzulla said. “He’ll be day to day.”
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, who was going for a block. 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. An MRI that 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 at Orlando on April 9.
The best-of-seven series shifts to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
Kyle Hightower, The Associated Press