The one-time champion scored 17 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, but struggled to find efficiency in his shooting as he went 8-22 from the field.

Despite a rare off-night for Jayson Tatum, the Boston Celtics dominated the Orlando Magic in the second half and took a 103-86 win on the night.

The 27-year-old suffered an injury in the fourth quarter as he was fouled on a dunk attempt by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Although he continued playing, Tatum was seen in visible pain, and this will be a cause of concern for the team.

After the game, Jefferson shared his thoughts on Tatum’s performance and stated the team did not need the best from him every night.

Photo by Brian Fluharty/Getty Images

Jefferson believes the Boston Celtics can afford an off night from Tatum

Jefferson, who won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers, revealed that the depth the Celtics had could help them secure a win even without a big night from Tatum, who is often disrespected around the league.

Speaking on NBA TV, he said: “For Jayson Tatum, he does so many things on the floor for his team. Yes, his shot wasn’t falling, but that’s also the luxury when you have so much talent on your team, you don’t have to force it. You don’t have to push it.

“If tonight is Derrick White’s night, if it’s Payton Pritchard’s night, then a leader allows those people to shine in those moments.”

Coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed after the game that Tatum’s wrist was good, but Jefferson believes the Celtics would move cautiously to keep him fit for the remainder of the playoffs.

“He’s got both wrists taped up now, and you know they are sure they’re going to check everything out, and then you start to get the treatment,” Jefferson added.

Kendrick Perkins lauds players on the Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, who is expected to be a key weapon in the playoffs and Tatum did not have the best of games as they only shot 15-44 from the field.

However, the Celtics never looked like they were going to suffer a defeat, courtesy of some big performances from Derrick White, who has had some great games for them this season.

Derrick White dropped 30 points, while Payton Pritchard contributed with 19 points off the bench for the team.

Kendrick Perkins, a champion with the Celtics, lauded the other players who stepped up and contributed in a game in which key players like Tatum, Brown, and Porzingis did not fire.

He tweeted: “Tatum, Brown and KP combined to shoot 15-44 and the Celtics still won by damn near 20. The OTHERS are just different on the Celtics. Yes I called them “Others” because they’re to good to be called Role Players.”

White has traditionally stepped up during the playoffs, and that is exactly what the Celtics will hope from him, as the other stars on the team might be facing similar nights to that of Game 1 due to defensive schemes primarily being focused on them.