Boston Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum appears to be fine after suffering a scary injury in the Game 1 win over the Orlando Magic.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum is fine, although he appeared to be in pain while heading to the locker room after the game.
Tatum sustained the injury in the fourth quarter following a hard foul by Caldwell-Pope.
The 27-year-old star remained on the floor for an extended period, clearly in discomfort. The moment sparked a brief altercation between players, as Tatum’s teammates rushed in to stand up for him.
Officials reviewed the incident and ruled it a flagrant foul on Caldwell-Pope.
Tatum eventually made his way to the bench under his own power. He returned to the court to shoot the free throws but was unable to convert either attempt. Shortly after, he connected on his only three-pointer of the night—an encouraging sign, but it was evident the wrist was bothering him.
Following a timeout, Tatum came back into the game with his right wrist heavily wrapped.
After the final buzzer, he was seen heading to the locker room, clearly in pain, raising concern about his status moving forward.
Tatum finished the game with 17 points on a poor 8-of-22 shooting from the field, 14 rebounds, four assists, one steal, and one block in 40 minutes of action. He also shot 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.
It was far from a stellar game from Tatum, but luckily, the supporting cast showed up and showed out, especially Derrick White. White finished the game as the leading score with 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field, four rebounds, two assists, one steal, and two blocks in 36 minutes of action.
The Celtics will closely monitor Tatum’s wrist from now until Game 2. He is expected to play, but we’ll see if his wrist will hamper him in any way, shape, or form.
Tatum and the Celtics will host the Magic for Game 2 again on Wednesday.