Once the Philadelphia 76ers defeated the Boston Celtics to force a Game 7, all of the attention was placed on the star forward, Jayson Tatum.
While some may be skeptical about Tatum’s playing status for Game 7, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla had a two-word message for the doubters: “He’ll play.”
“He’ll play.”
During the Celtics’ Game 6 loss, Tatum left with what was described as calf tightness. The star forward didn’t return to the court.
Tatum’s night concluded after he saw the court for 28 minutes of action. The veteran forward shot 6-13 from the field, scoring 17 points. He contributed with a double-double, coming down with 11 rebounds. Tatum also dished out three assists.
Jayson Tatum Addresses The Early Exit
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 30: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics reacts during the first quarter of a game against the Philadelphia 76ers in Game Six of the First Round of the NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 30, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
After the 76ers collected a 106-93 win over the Celtics, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla publicly claimed that Tatum did not suffer an injury in Game 6. Shortly after, Tatum answered questions about the incident.
“I wasn’t overly concerned,” Jayson told reporters. “It’s not like that big of a deal. You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike — my leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter.”
GettyPHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – APRIL 26: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics celebrates a three-pointer during the second half of game four of the Eastern Conference first round playoffs against the Philadelphia 76ers at Xfinity Mobile Arena on April 26, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
The Celtics wisely held Tatum out for the remainder of the game. As he later stated, the matchup was out of reach for Boston. Keeping the star forward fresh for the seventh and final outing was the correct move.
Tatum and the Celtics will host the 76ers on Saturday, May 2. The game is slated to tip off at 7:30 PM ET.
While the Celtics didn’t submit an official injury report just yet, Mazzulla insists that Tatum will be on the court.