The Boston Celtics were able to pull away from the Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their first-round series on Sunday afternoon, but they didn’t leave without concern.
Jayson Tatum suffered a wrist injury after trying to break his fall on a dunk attempt. The Celtics are set to take on the Magic in Game 2 on Wednesday night, and current signs indicate that Tatum will not be available to play.
The Celtics have officially listed Tatum as doubtful for Wednesday’s Game 2 against Orlando with the wrist injury. Tatum had 17 points and 14 rebounds in Game 1, but he struggled to find a consistent rhythm from the field.
Boston trailed by one heading into halftime on Sunday, but they outscored Orlando 30-18 in the third quarter to re-establish their lead. Derrick White led the way with 30 points for the defending champions, hitting seven three-pointers in the game.
Former No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero put on a show for the Magic in Game 1, scoring 36 points. Franz Wagner added 23 of his own, but the Magic received little help from their supporting cast.
Banchero and Wagner were the only two Orlando players to score in double figures, a stat that will need to change if the Magic have any hope of victory in the series.
The Celtics appear to be playing things safely with Tatum, and there’s no indication of exactly how long this injury could keep him out. X-rays were negative on his wrist after the fall, which suggests that he could return sooner rather than later.
Tatum was Boston’s leading scorer in the regular season with 26.8 points per game. That number was also fifth in the NBA as a whole, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo in the Eastern conference.
The Celtics are looking to become the first team to repeat as NBA champions since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018. They were able to find success in their first playoff game, but it looks like they’ll need to rely on others aside from Tatum in Game 2.
Fans can tune in to the second game of the series between Boston and Orlando at 7 PM ET on Wednesday night, and the game will be broadcast on TNT.