Boston Celtics fans all held their breath when All-Star forward Jayson Tatum took a hard fall during the team's 103-86 win over the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference first-round series on Sunday.
With 8:29 remaining in the fourth quarter, Tatum drove to the basket and, as he rose up for a dunk attempt, was met in the air by Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. and forward Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, each of whom collided with the Celtics forward. Tatum hit the floor hard and immediately grabbed at his right wrist. After a review, Caldwell-Pope was assessed a flagrant foul.
Tatum remained in the game, but concerns about a possible wrist injury were on the mind of every Celtics fan, pundit and even Tatum's mother following the contest. When asked, Tatum, after confirming that he indeed "fell on" his wrist, eased any injury concerns moving forward.
"I just landed on it," Tatum said. "Was throbbing for a second, but it kinda went away."
Tatum added that an X-ray on his wrist was "clean."
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla also didn't seem concerned about Tatum's injury, succinctly telling reporters that the All-Star forward was "doing good."
Though it was an off-shooting game for Tatum, he still finished the contest with 17 points, 14 rebounds, four assists, a steal, and a block. He'll get two days to rest before Game 2 tips off against the Magic on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jayson Tatum Eases Wrist Injury Concerns After Taking Hard Fall in Celtics Win.
