
Celtics' Tatum Dismisses Concern After Wrist Injury from Fall During Game 1
Jayson Tatum reflects on a hard fall during Game 1 against the Magic, downplaying the injury as his team moves forward in the playoffs.
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum appeared to hurt his right wrist during their 103-86 win in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Orlando Magic but didn’t seem too worried afterward.
“It’s all right,” Tatum told reporters. “I just fell on it, landed on it.”
Tatum’s wrist was “throbbing for a second,” he said, but then “it kind of went away.” He mentioned he received an X-ray after the game that came back “clean.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Tatum used a screen from Al Horford and took a pass from Jrue Holiday to get open before being met in the air by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr.. They sent him crashing to the ground where he landed awkwardly on his wrist.
Caldwell-Pope was initially called for a foul, which 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,” crew chief Zach Zarba explained.
Although Tatum stayed in the game, he missed both free throws afterward. He had his wrist taped and even delivered some of his best scoring moments after the scary fall but appeared to favor it as the fourth quarter continued. He ended the game with 17 points, 14 rebounds, and four assists, shooting just 8 of 22 from the field.
When Tatum checked out, he kept his right hand by his side, only using his left hand to high-five teammates. Toward the end of the game, the broadcast showed him flexing his wrist while sitting on the bench.
The series continues with Game 2 on Wednesday. Based on his comments, Tatum seems ready to play.