Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum was listed as Game 3 suspicion against the Orlando Magic by bruising bones on his right wrist.
Tatum missed his first playoff game of his career, when he didn't play in the second game. He has 114 consecutive playoff games before that.
The Celtics beat the Magic 109-100 to lead the series with a 2-0 lead. The series is now transferred to Orlando for Game 3 at 7:00 PM EST.
“He is dealing with severe bone bruises,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said in an interview at Boston Radio 98.5 Sports Hub. “He is getting better every day, every day. [Wednesday] He looked at all the protocols carefully and did everything he tried to play until the last minute. ”
Mazula's tough love now looks even more awkward. In the first game, he stopped coaches often Tatum and shouted “Get up!” when the injury occurred.
“I believe in his process, I believe in his mindset, I believe in the people around me, and that helps put him in the right place,” Mazzulla said in a radio interview. “That's all we can do.”
Celtics find a way without Tatum
In Game 2, Boston showed the depth of the team. Jaylen Brown easily stood up and fell to 36 points. This is a good sign considering the knee issues that make it to the playoffs.
Kristaps Porzingis also performed well, pushing it hard despite bending his forehead and elbows.
Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard, and Al Horford are all ready and able to contribute.
Decide who will make the decision in place of Tatum. Since the Magic are a relatively large team, Mazzulla chose Horford.
Orlando still cuts work for them.
Can magic come home?
Outside Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the offense continues to haunt the Magic. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored just three points in Game 2, while five substitutes who did not appoint Anthony Black combined for a combined six points.
Jalen Suggs' absence affected the team, and Mo Wagner also played this season.
This won't cut its progress, and the huge hope will be the old mantra for role-players to perform better at home.
The Magic ended their home game with a 22-19 regular season, and 19-22 on the way.
