Update: Tatum is back for Boston.
Update: There’s some great news for Celtics fans. Tatum is officially probable to return from the ankle injury he suffered, so he’s good to go. We’ll see if he is needed to play big minutes with Boston up 10 after one quarter but the forward should be back out there.
Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum suffered an ankle injury early in Tuesday’s contest against the Golden State Warriors, going back to the locker room for further evaluation. Tatum did jog off the court but had a noticeable limp in his step.
Jayson Tatum just hobbled off the court back to the locker room.
— Kendra Andrews (@kendra__andrews) December 20, 2023
It looks like Tatum rolled his ankle while defending Brandin Podziemski on this play.
Jayson Tatum rolled that left ankle in the paint then limped off. pic.twitter.com/NYrY92dvWb
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) December 20, 2023
Tatum hit two of his first three shots in the game and was off to a hot start with four points, two rebounds and an assist, making his early exit even more concerning. We’ll see if he’s able to continue in this game but Boston might opt to be cautious with the team on a back-to-back set Tuesday and Wednesday. The Celtics are already without Kristaps Porzingis in this game due to injury management.
If Tatum is unable to return, look for Jaylen Brown and Derrick White to take over as the primary scorers for this team. The Celtics would likely need to throw Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser into the rotation as well to make up for Tatum’s absence.