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.

Source: AP News – Jayson Tatum misses 1st career playoff game with wrist injury as Celtics host Magic in Game 2

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BOSTON  – The Boston Celtics cruised to a 103-86 victory over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series on Sunday, but the win wasn’t without its tense moments. As the Celtics began to assert their dominance, their star player, Jayson Tatum, found himself on the ground in pain after a hard fall.

Despite the scare, Tatum was able to recover and finish the game, much to the relief of the home crowd. As chants of “MVP!” filled the TD Garden, Tatum slowly made his way to the bench, reassuring fans that he was alright. “I just landed on it. It was throbbing for a second,” Tatum explained. “It kind of went away.”

With Tatum back in action, Boston was able to maintain control of the game, with Derrick White leading the charge, scoring a career-high 30 points. Tatum finished with 17 points, and Payton Pritchard made a big impact off the bench, adding 19 points. Jaylen Brown, who had missed the last three regular-season games due to a knee injury, chipped in with 16 points, playing 31 minutes.

White, confident in his team’s versatility, said, “We’ve got many different ways we can win. A lot of different things we can throw at teams.”

While the Celtics were comfortably in control for most of the game, the Magic managed to keep things close early on. Orlando led by one point at halftime, largely due to their defense, which limited the Celtics’ usually potent three-point shooting. The Magic forced the Celtics to make just 7-of-15 three-pointers in the first half, and Boston finished the game with a solid 16-of-37 from beyond the arc.

However, the tide turned in the third quarter, when Orlando struggled with turnovers, giving up six in the period. The Celtics capitalized, outscoring the Magic 30-18 and taking a 78-65 lead into the final quarter. From there, Boston extended their lead to as much as 19 points, closing out the game with ease.

Orlando’s Paolo Banchero led his team with a standout performance, scoring 36 points and grabbing 11 rebounds, while Franz Wagner added 23 points. Despite their strong individual performances, the Magic couldn’t overcome the Celtics’ defensive pressure and ball movement.

“We’ve got to clean up the turnovers,” said Banchero. “It’s Game 1, there’s nerves. Lit crowd. Really loud. Not a total surprise that we struggled a little bit on offense, honestly.”

Jaylen Brown, who had injections in his knee last week to manage the issue, showed no signs of limitation. In the third quarter, with the Celtics holding a 15-point lead, Brown threw down an emphatic two-handed dunk and hung on the rim in celebration. “I haven’t got one of those in a little bit,” Brown said. “But we’re just getting started.”

The Celtics will look to extend their series lead when they host Game 2 on Wednesday night. With Tatum’s health intact and their offensive depth on full display, Boston appears well on its way to advancing deeper into the playoffs as they aim to defend their NBA championship.

Source: AP News – Derrick White scores 30, Tatum stays in game after fall and Celtics beat Magic 103-86 in Game 1

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