Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla called Jayson Tatum’s right wrist injury a severe bruise and said the All-Star forward is day-to-day. But he isn’t sure if he will play in Game 3 against the Orlando Magic on Friday (7 p.m. ET, ESPN).
Tatum is listed as doubtful on the team’s official injury reported submitted late Thursday afternoon.
Tatum sustained a distal radius bone bruise in his shooting hand in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 1 victory Sunday. He missed Boston’s Game 2 victory with the injury.
“There’ll definitely be a chance,” Mazzulla told 98.5 The Sports Hub in Boston. “He’s progressively gotten better each day and (Wednesday) he went through all the protocols and did everything he could possibly do up until the last moment to try and play. … At the end of the day, I know he’ll do whatever it takes to put himself in position to play and put our team in position to win. That’s who he is, and we will trust in that.”
The Celtics listed Tatum as doubtful leading up to Game 2 and then before the game, they listed him as out.
Tatum sustained the injury with 8:28 left in the fourth quarter. He dribbled toward the rim and as he tried to dunk, he was fouled by Orlando’s Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and used his right hand to brace his fall.
Caldwell-Pope was issued a flagrant foul one, and Tatum missed both free throws. He remained in the game and scored seven more points, including a 3-pointer to put Boston ahead 94-76 with 6:28 to play. He took a seat on the bench for the final 74 seconds.
Tatum had 17 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in the victory.