The Boston Celtics beat the Orlando Magic, 103-86, in Game 1 of their first round Eastern Conference playoff series but didn't do so without a bit of a scare.
Celtics fans everywhere held their breath when superstar Jayson Tatum took a hard fall on his wrist following a flagrant foul from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the fourth quarter of the victory. He remained on the floor for several minutes in visible pain. Tatum was able to finish the game, though, and told reporters during his press conference he underwent MRI that came back clean.
Speaking to media on Tuesday, head coach Joe Mazzulla offered an update on his star player, saying he was "sore" and gave his status for the next game of the series.
"He was able to do some stuff (at practice)," Mazzulla said. "He was sore after the game, he's gotten better today. He was able to go through some on-court work, and we'll go from there."
When asked if Tatum would be ready for Game 2 on Wednesday, Mazzulla didn't commit to anything and just said he was "day-to-day."
Any lingering injury for the All-NBA wing would be mighty concerning for the Celtics. Boston's roster is loaded with talent but Jaylen Brown is dealing with an injury of his own, having missed a good chunk of the last stretch of the regular season with a knee issue. Tatum is also extremely durable and has always exhibited a strong preference for playing through anything less than a major injury. Through that lens, it seems likely he'll suit up for Game 2; the question instead is how effective he'll be.
In Game 1 the superstar shot 8-of-22 from the field, recording only 17 points but bringing down 14 rebounds to go with a steal and a block. If Tatum is on the court for Game 2 the Celtics would like a more efficient effort to battle a very strong Orlando defense.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Celtics' Joe Mazzulla Offers Update on Jayson Tatum Wrist Injury, Status for Game 2 .
