Celtics Face Game 7 Without Tatum, Brown Must Carry the Title Defense

Jayson Tatum was officially ruled out for Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday, roughly 90 minutes before the 7:30 p.m. ET tip-off at TD Garden, turning what was already a winner-take-all night into a one-man test for Jaylen Brown.

The announcement came after pregame warmups. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla kept the explanation brief. “He just came in today with knee discomfort. The medical team and myself decided for him not to play.”

Tatum had left Game 6 in Philadelphia with four minutes remaining in the third quarter — 17 points, 11 rebounds, 29 minutes played — and did not return. The team initially described the issue as left calf tightness. Saturday’s official injury report listed it as left knee stiffness.

How the Celtics Got Here

Boston built a 3-to-1 series lead. They were the defending champions, the East’s second seed, and favored to advance without serious trouble.

In Game 4, Joel Embiid returned from an appendectomy that had kept him out earlier in the series. The Celtics still won in a blowout — a playoff-record 24 three-pointers, Tatum with 30 points and 11 assists, Payton Pritchard adding 32 off the bench on six threes. That version of Boston looked like it couldn’t be stopped.

Embiid found his legs in Game 5. He scored 33 points in 39 minutes, shooting 12-for-23 from the field and 9-of-10 from the free-throw line as Philadelphia won by 16 in Boston. Game 6 in Philadelphia: Tyrese Maxey dropped 30, the 76ers won by 13, and Tatum left the floor early. Series tied at three apiece.

Brown’s Night

Tatum was averaging 23.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists through six games — coming off a torn right Achilles he suffered last May, which had cost him the first 62 regular-season games this year and left him with only 16 appearances before the playoffs began. His return was already one of the faster recoveries seen for that injury type. Now he watches Game 7 from the bench.

Brown averaged 24.5 points in the series and carries the offensive load now. He shot 7-for-17 in Game 6 as the Celtics collapsed, so his performance tonight will determine whether Boston’s season ends in the first round.

Brown did not sound rattled when asked about it before the ruling was confirmed. “All things considered, we’re in a great spot going home for a Game 7. I’m expecting a great atmosphere, and expecting a great fight from our group. I’m excited for Game 7.”

One useful reference point: the Celtics went 43-23 without Tatum during the regular season, finishing second in the East even with him absent for more than three-quarters of the year. They know how to win without him. Whether the NBA playoffs are the same challenge is what tip-off will answer.

What Philadelphia Is Bringing

The 76ers enter as the seventh seed. That framing has steadily eroded over six games.

Maxey has been their most consistent force, averaging 26.3 points across the series. He has two 30-point performances in six games and has put constant pressure on Boston’s backcourt regardless of who the Celtics had on the floor. Paul George is listed as probable for Game 7 after dealing with an illness; he played and started in Game 6 and averaged 17.2 points in the series while shooting 53.8% from three — the kind of efficiency that gave him back a postseason reputation he’d spent years trying to rebuild.

Embiid appears to be finding his full rhythm. Two healthy games in, he has looked like the player who has carried Philadelphia for years.

The winner advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks. Game time is 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.