It wasn’t expected to boil down to this for the Boston Celtics, who suddenly face a Game 7 in this first round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Following a 106-93 loss in Game 6 on Thursday night in Philadelphia, the Celtics are facing a do-or-die situation with plenty on the line.
Boston appeared poised to run through the first round (or two) after jumping out to a 3-1 lead, but the Sixers rattled off back-to-back hard-fought wins.
Philadelphia has thoroughly outplayed Boston in the last two games but still have to win one more game in TD Garden to punch its ticket to round two.
With Game 7 set for Saturday night in Boston, either fans will witness an all time collapse or an all time comeback.
To add to the Game 7 pressure, the Celtics perhaps have a whole lot of Jayson Tatum on their minds following an injury scare in Game 6.
Jayson Tatum Urged to Rethink Game 7 Decision
When it happened, all Celtics fans could think was not again.
Tatum, 28, left the game in the third quarter with left calf discomfort and did not return. He finished the night with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes.
GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – APRIL 28: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against VJ Edgecombe #77 of the Philadelphia 76ers. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Tatum had logged heavy minutes in the previous five games, which was a good sign considering how recently he returned from an Achilles rupture. But it forces one to wonder whether Tatum was going full throttle too soon.
The Boston star was seen on the bench with an ice pack on the calf, but after the game, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla shot down any serious injury concerns afterward.
As the Celtics prepare for Game 7, Tatum is being warned about playing in the biggest game of the season.
According to Stephen A. Smith, Tim Grover, the famous former trainer of Michael Jordan, issued a message on Tatum’s injury scare and what it could mean for the star forward in a pressure-packed Game 7.
“I remember the great Tim Grover, who used to train Michael Jordan, a friend of mine, a wonderful dude. He texted me this morning,” Smith said. “Remember what I told you years ago about the Achilles? I’ve never been worried about the surgical one. My concern was always the other leg when a player comes back because you’re overcompensating on that one leg, which is what Tatum may have done. Rubbing that calf. That reminded me a little bit too much of Kevin Durant when he tore his Achilles. Because of that tightness, he had to come out of the game. Now you’ve got a Game 7 on Saturday. I’m here to tell you, ladies and gentlemen, I don’t know about y’all and how y’all feel about it. I’m not playing Jayson Tatum if I’m the Boston Celtics. I got a $350 million investment in this brother.” (h/t BasketNews.com)
Tatum suffered a right Achilles tear in last year’s playoffs. After beijing sidelined for the majority of the 2025-26 regular season, he returned in early March.
After the Game 6 loss, Tatum described his calf as “just a little stiff” and something he isn’t concerned about, which sounds hopeful.
But there nonetheless remains some concern about how much confidence Tatum will have to exert full force on that leg in Game 7.
The good news is Tatum was not listed on the team’s injury report released Friday.
Massive Stakes on the Line for the C’s
Here we go again: a classic do-or-die game.
Boston has the home crowd to fall back on — but that hasn’t mattered a ton so far this series. Philadelphia has won two out of the three games on the road. Winning three of four would be remarkable.
It will be intriguing to see how the Celtics manage Tatum’s minutes in Game 7. Will they approach this game any differently, or will it be business as usual?
Will the Game 6 injury scare force Tatum to play tentatively in moments?
We’ll find out tonight.
Jayson Tatum Gets Strong Achilles Warning From Jordan’s Ex-Trainer Before Game 7