Jayson Tatum made an emphatic return from a right wrist injury to lead the Boston Celtics to a 107-98 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 4.
The 27-year-old superstar played 42 minutes and poured in 37 points, 14 rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Showing the Magic he wouldn’t be fazed by the play that caused the injury, Tatum finished with 14 free-throw attempts.
“I know what I’m dealing with, my team knows how serious it is but it’s that time of year,” Tatum said of how the wrist felt. “We’re all sacrificing our bodies and going through things. It’s the playoffs, I doubt anybody feels a 100 percent.
“When you step on that floor, do what you can, give it your all, it’s just all about trying to figure out how to win.”
He had missed the previous two games of the series. Jrue Holiday missed his second straight game with a strained right hamstring. Health has certainly been front and center as the Celtics have begun their title defense, and Tatum’s return represents a big boost.
Orlando has been very physical throughout the series and that has drawn some frustration from the Celtics. They have responded as champions do and will now have a chance to close out the series in Game 5.
That will be Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. EST.
Magic Learning Celtics’ Championship Pedigree
While Orlando has been competitive, Boston has been a cut above in execution down the stretch of games. That was true again on Sunday night as the Celtics closed the game on a 16-7 run.
“Their experience showed,” said Magic star Paolo Banchero. “They weren’t rattled at all, making big plays on both ends. They were really sharp over the last four minutes.”
One of the glaring Magic weaknesses over the course of the season has been a lack of offense. With Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner out for the season, support for Banchero and Franz Wagner has been lacking.
Trailing 3-1 in the series, it might soon be time to think about what personnel changes may be required in the summer to address that.
