
Celtics' Jayson Tatum Faces Injury After Hard Fall in Game 1 Win
Jayson Tatum's wrist injury raised concerns during the Celtics' Game 1 victory against the Magic, but he managed to continue playing.
The Boston Celtics’ quest for a repeat got off to a mixed start on Sunday afternoon. After trailing by a point at halftime, they dominated the second half to pull away from the Orlando Magic for a 103-86 win in Game 1 of their first-round series, but Jayson Tatum appeared to injure his right wrist in the process.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla offered little when asked about Tatum during his postgame availability. “He’s doing good,” Mazzulla said of Tatum, who was spotted going to the X-ray room after finishing with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists, although he shot just 8 of 22 from the field.
Early in the fourth quarter, Tatum used a screen from Al Horford to get some space and took a pass from Jrue Holiday that led him right to the basket. When he elevated, he was met in the air by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr. The Magic duo sent him crashing to the ground where he landed awkwardly on his right wrist.
The initial foul was called on Caldwell-Pope but was later upgraded to a flagrant after a lengthy review.
“The illegal contact by Pope and then the ensuing follow through to a player in the air and vulnerable, with a potential for injury, is upgraded to a Flagrant Foul Penalty 1,” said crew chief Zach Zarba during the broadcast.
Tatum remained in the game, though he missed both ensuing free throws. He was taped up and even had some of his best scoring moments after the fall, yet he appeared to be favoring his wrist as the game went on. When he checked out, he kept his right hand at his side, only using his left to high-five teammates. Later, on the bench, he was seen gripping and flexing his wrist.
The Celtics are relieved that Tatum was able to finish the game, but further imaging will confirm there’s no serious injury. His status will need to be monitored ahead of Game 2 and beyond.