Jayson Tatum Ruled Out for Game 7, What It Means for the Sixers

In a stunning development less than two hours before tip-off, the Boston Celtics ruled star forward Jayson Tatum out for Game 7 with left knee stiffness.

With Paul George and Joel Embiid both listed as 'probable' to play in Game 7, it seems the Sixers have a golden opportunity to complete a stunning series upset in the first round of the playoffs.

Their approach should not change.

Tatum has obviously been available for the entirety of the series up to this point, and the Sixers have done an excellent job scheming their defense to account for both him and Jaylen Brown. So much so, in fact, that Philadelphia has managed to coax Bosotn into fewer 3s and fewer shots at the rim as this series has gone on.

Removing Tatum from the equation obviously thins Boston's shot creation. Perhaps as impactful is that it narrows the gap in rebounding prowess between these two teams. But just because the Sixers won't have to deal with another apex shot-creating wing does not mean that they should change how they defend this team.

Boston earned its playoff seeding without Tatum for the majority of the season. They know who they are with and without him.

But this is not the regular season. At the end of the day, if the Sixers defend with the intensity and focus they have in the games they've won in this series, it will simply be difficult for Boston to generate offense away from Brown.

Payton Pritchard likely stands as Boston's second best hub of offense now. That's a much more challenging job when the Sixers can scale their defensive matchups to put a wing on the guard.

Perhaps the best thing the Sixers have going for them now that Tatum is out is that they can have their pick of wings guarding Brown at all times. He'll either have to play 48 minutes and fight through hounding defense or the Sixers will get opportunities to play against lineups that feature neither Celtics star.

But even with Brown on the court, the Sixers have a strategy.

That Boston's offense almost completely stalled out when Brown picked up his fourth foul early in the third quarter of Game 6 should only encourage the Sixers to sell his use of his off arm to create space. If they can get him in foul trouble again, his shot creation will be even more limited and Boston's ability to actually get to a drive-and-kick game will be hindered. If they can't generate open 3s, the Sixers should be happy.

But just because Brown's use of his off-arm is risky to the Celtics does not mean the Sixers can bank on that. Focusing on their acting skills as Brown's left forearm hits them would be to assume they'll get the beneficial call every time. Banking on officiating to help is a losing strategy. The Sixers should treat Brown the same as they would if Tatum were available. Pick and choose their spots to expose the shoving, but focus on being physical with him and forcing him to his left hand.

Oh, the stories that will emerge if the Sixers win...

Philadelphia's biggest critics will use Tatum's absence as a way to soften the accomplishment of winning this series, if the Sixers do indeed take care of business.

While this matchup becomes significantly less challenging with Tatum out, the reality is that the Celtics had two chances to put this thing to bed at full strength. That they're now in this position is a product of their own failures and the Sixers' grit to rise to the moment. Beyond that, Boston had three opportunities to put the Sixers up against the wall before Embiid returned. They went 2-1 instead of capturing the always-commanding 3-0 series lead. And lastly, as mentioned above, the whole reason this game is being played in Boston, the whole reason the Celtics get four home games, is because of the work they put in prior to Tatum's return. There is no asterisk on this series if the Sixers take care of business.

There is still a challenge ahead. The Sixers are not out of the woods by any means.

But they suddenly have strong say in their destiny.

Add us as a preferred source on Google