NBA: Missing Game 7 a tough pill to swallow for Jayson Tatum

It was going well—until it wasn’t.

The second-seeded Boston Celtics built a 3-1 series lead over the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Eastern Conference quarterfinals, appearing to be in control of the matchup. Six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum, who returned from Achilles tendon surgery sooner than expected, was playing at a high level, averaging 24.8 points through the first four games.

But the momentum shifted quickly. The 76ers delivered a dominant win in Game 5 on the road, and concerns deepened when Tatum appeared to aggravate an issue in the second half of Game 6, which Philadelphia also won to force a decisive Game 7.

It remained unclear whether Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla opted not to reinsert Tatum due to injury concerns or simply because Boston was trailing by 23 points late in the fourth quarter. Either way, Tatum’s status steadily declined leading up to Game 7, and just two hours before tipoff, he was officially ruled out of the winner-take-all contest.

As a result, the four-time All-NBA First Team selection watched from the bench in street clothes as the 76ers completed their comeback, defeating Boston 109-100 to advance.

Following the loss, Tatum spoke to reporters on Sunday, reflecting on both his return from injury and the abrupt end to Boston’s season.

“My recovery and comeback were going so well that I didn’t think it would end this way,” Tatum said. “It was just unfortunate. I worked really, really hard to come back the way I did and play at the level I was playing at. So for it to end like this is a tough pill to swallow.”

Tatum explained that, as he was still within a return-to-play window following his Achilles recovery, the team followed NBA protocols regarding left knee stiffness. Both the Celtics’ medical staff and his personal trainer, Nick Sang, ultimately agreed he would not be able to suit up on Saturday.

He also acknowledged that he was not operating at full strength after returning to action on March 6 against Dallas. Tatum estimated he was playing at around 80–85 percent and noted lingering physical imbalances during his recovery process.

In 11 games during March, he averaged 31.0 minutes per contest, followed by 36.2 minutes across five regular-season games in April. While his scoring dipped slightly to 21.8 points per game and his shooting percentages fell below his career averages (41.1% from the field, 32.9% from three-point range), he still contributed strongly on the boards, averaging a career-best 10.0 rebounds heading into the playoffs.

Despite the disappointment, Tatum said he has no regrets about pushing to return within a 10-month recovery window to help Boston’s season.

“I’m happy and proud that I was able to do that,” he said. “And if someone else has to go through this, they can look at what I did and have hope. You can come back from it, be who you were, and hopefully even be better.”

-Field Level Media/Reuters