Getty Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics leaves the court after an injury during the second half of Game Two of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets.
The Boston Celtics have struggled mightily in their first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets. As the series shifts to Boston, the Celtics season will pretty much be on the line on Friday. After dropping the first two games in Brooklyn, Boston is staring at the prospect of being in a 0-3 hole if they do not win on Friday. No team in NBA history has ever come back from being down 0-3 to win a playoff series.
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Ex-Lakers Trainer Goes Into Detail on Tatum’s Injury
The bad news continues to pile up for the Celtics as their All-Star forward Jayson Tatum suffered an eye injury in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday. Tatum was poked in the eye by Nets’ star Kevin Durant as the two were jostling for the basketball in the second half. Former Lakers trainer Marco Nunez spoke to Landon Buford about the severity of the type of injury that Tatum suffered and how it could affect him in the series moving forward.
“There is a very good chance that he suffered a Corneal Abrasion. A Corneal Abrasion is a scratch on your eye. Depending on the severity of the scratch, it can be very uncomfortable, even when you close your eye,” Nunez said per LandonBuford.com.
The injury would force Tatum to leave the game. He would later attempt to return to action but the eye injury he sustained made the lighting too much to bear and he was held out for the remainder of the contest.
“Many reports it feels like you have a small piece of sand that will not go away. Your eye becomes very sensitive to light; the bright lights from the arena tend to make your eye sting and burn hence why he probably left the game,” Nunez continued. “In addition, it is very uncomfortable to wear contacts for several days. Team Physician May prescribe antibiotic drops along with some pain-reducing eye drops. In some cases, when a player returns, he may wear some protective eyeglasses to prevent further irritation.”
Despite not playing the rest of Game 2, Celtics general manager Danny Ainge says he expects his star player to suit up on Friday night. He said so during an appearance on the Toucher and Riche show per Chris Forsberg.
Danny Ainge on @Toucherandrich says Jayson Tatum should be good for Game 3: “I think he’s going to be fine … he’s doing much better.”
KD Speaks on His Defensive Improvement
KD has been the primary defender on Tatum this series and through two games he has held the Celtics’ star in check. Tatum followed up a 6/20 Game 1 with a 3/12 performance in Game 2. Durant’s improvement on defense over the past few seasons has helped him develop into possibly the most dangerous version of himself.
“I feel like I’ve always been a good defender. Early on in my career, I was asked to score for my teams; and we had defenders that were asked to guard the best wing player, but I felt like I was always helping, learning what help defense is like. It’s a journey as a scorer to try to learn defenses in the NBA, especially as an 18-, 19-year-old,” Durant told reporters after Game 2 via NetsDaily.
“So, I’ve just been trying to learn from the defenders on my team and my coaches, and over time, I think I just gradually got better at it. I’m still looking to improve in all different areas of defense, especially mentally. But I felt like I’ve always been a … I haven’t been a liability. That’s probably the main thing when you’re out there. You don’t want to be a liability, so my teammates trust me.”
The Nets will be looking to take a commanding 3-0 lead when they take on the Celtics on Friday.
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