BOSTON — The Celtics will be at full strength when they face the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night for Game 7. Jayson Tatum, who did not play in the final 15 minutes of Game 6, is not on the injury report.
Tatum exited the game with four minutes left in the third quarter and briefly headed to the locker room with his trainer, Nick Sang. Tatum returned with ice around his left calf, the opposite leg from the one he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in last May. He spent most of the fourth quarter on an exercise
bike in the tunnel.
“You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike, my leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter,” Tatum said. “But just kind of assessing the moment, the game was a little out of reach.”
Tatum said after Game 6 that he expected to play in Game 7.
“I expect to play,” Tatum said. “It was my other leg, not the one I injured last year. I mean, I wasn’t like overly concerned. Shit, I came out at four minutes, like I was supposed to. Just kind of assessed the game — he took the starters out fairly early in the fourth quarter.”
In a conference call with reporters on Friday afternoon, Joe Mazzulla confirmed that Tatum would play.
“He said he’s playing, right?” Mazzulla said. “He’ll play.”
Tatum has averaged 21.8 points, 10 rebounds, and 5.3 assists across 6 games this season, shooting 41.1% from the field and 32.9% from three.
Celtics-76ers tips off at 7:30pm ET on Saturday night at TD Garden.
