Jayson Tatum Misses First Career Playoff Game Due to Wrist Injury as Celtics Face Magic in Game 2

BOSTON (AP) — In a surprising turn of events, Celtics star Jayson Tatum was sidelined for the first playoff game of his career on Wednesday night due to a bone bruise in his right wrist. The injury, which occurred during Boston’s Game 1 victory over the Orlando Magic, kept Tatum out of the lineup as the Celtics hosted the Magic for Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series.

The six-time All-Star was ruled out about an hour before tipoff. Although initially listed as doubtful, Tatum’s absence was confirmed after he missed his usual pregame shooting session alongside teammate Jaylen Brown. This marked a rare setback for Tatum, who has played in every postseason game over his eight seasons with the Celtics.

The wrist injury occurred in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 103-86 win on Sunday. As Tatum attempted a dunk, he was fouled hard by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who was trying to block the shot. The force of the contact caused Tatum to land awkwardly on his right side. After a review by the referees, Caldwell-Pope’s foul was upgraded to a flagrant, but Tatum managed to finish the game despite initial pain.

“I had some throbbing right after it happened, but it went away,” Tatum said after the game. An X-ray was taken postgame and showed no fractures, though an MRI on Tuesday confirmed the bone bruise, keeping him out of Game 2.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla spoke about Tatum’s injury during his pregame media session, noting that the star forward had been able to do some light on-court work earlier in the day. “I know he’s doing everything he can to put himself in position to play,” Mazzulla said. “He’ll be day to day.”

Tatum’s absence marked a rare challenge for the Celtics, who have relied heavily on his leadership throughout the season. He led Boston in points, assists, and rebounds per game during the regular season, and has been a key figure in their playoff runs over the years.

Despite Tatum’s absence, the Celtics have fared well without him during the regular season, posting an 8-2 record. However, both losses came at the hands of the Magic, although Boston rested all its starters during their final meeting in Orlando on April 9.

The best-of-seven series now heads to Orlando for Game 3 on Friday, where the Celtics will look to build on their momentum while hoping for a quick recovery from their star player.