BOSTON — The TD Garden crowd held its breath as Jayson Tatum laid down alongside the baseline, clutching the same right wrist that has bothered him for extended stretches throughout his career. The Celtics held a double-digit lead over the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s playoff opener, but for a moment, the only thing that mattered was a potential Tatum injury.
Tatum had just driven to the basket for a dunk when he was fouled by Magic forward Kentavius Caldwell-Pope. Upon landing hard on the ground, the Celtics star swung his legs back and forth as his teammates huddled around him.
After review, officials assessed Caldwell-Pope a flagrant foul penalty one, and Tatum remained in the game despite the initial scare. A loud “MVP” chant inundated the arena as Tatum got back on his feet and headed to the line.
Tatum wrapped his wrist on the bench.
Joe Mazzula kept it simple when asked about Tatum’s injury status after the game.
“He’s good,” he said.
Tatum finished the game with 17 points on 8-22 shooting, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. He hit a pull-up three, a reverse layup, and a fadeaway jumper before checking out of the game with just over a minute to play.
This story will be updated as more information is available.
