Joe Mazzulla reveals Celtics ruled Jayson Tatum out for Game 7 for him

BOSTON — In a complete turn of events, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has been ruled out for Game 7 of the Green Team's first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers. The official injury report designates Tatum's injury as "left knee stiffness" and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said it popped up earlier on Saturday, just several hours prior to Game 7 at TD Garden.

Tatum was noticeably not on the court for a significant part of the second half during Game 6 on Thursday evening, which raised plenty of red flags. Following the double-digit loss, Tatum downplayed his injury and made it sound like he'd play in Game 7. Mazzulla even said during a conference call with the media on Friday afternoon that Tatum would play. However, that message was not maintained during Mazzulla's pregame presser on Saturday night.

"(Tatum) came in today with knee discomfort and we decided...for him not to play," Mazzulla said.

"We" is a key word, as it appears that the Celtics and their medical staff made the final call to rule out Tatum—not the six-time All-Star.

"We thought that was in his best interest," Mazzulla later explained.

Joe Mazzulla on Jayson Tatum’s injury;

“He came in today with knee discomfort.”

He later described him as “day-to-day.” pic.twitter.com/6HvkBndKAa— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 2, 2026

The Celtics will now start a do-or-die Game 7 the same way they started the regular season, with a home game against the Sixers that Tatum won't participate in. They'll hope for a different result this time, though, and they'll need all hands on deck to extend their season without Tatum healthy.

If Boston can pull out a win, it's worth noting that Mazzulla described Tatum's current status as "day-to-day."

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Joe Mazzulla says Celtics medical staff made final ruling to sideline Jayson Tatum for Game 7