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Celtics Hold Out Jayson Tatum Before Matchup vs Philadelphia 76ers

Jayson Tatum missed the Boston Celtics' recent matchup.
Justin Grasso|
Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Feb 20, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) dribbles the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

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Jayson Tatum will be a name the Philadelphia 76ers will keep an eye on as they prepare to face the Boston Celtics on the road on Thursday night.

As the Celtics opened up a back-to-back set with a matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday, Tatum got the night off as he deals with a shoulder injury. Tatum’s status for Thursday at home is uncertain, but the Sixers will have to prepare for multiple scenarios.

Prior to Wednesday’s game, it had been months since Tatum missed action. His last absence occurred on December 23 when the Celtics paid a visit to the Orlando Magic. It was an isolated absence, as Tatum was right back on the court the following game for the Christmas Day matchup against the Sixers.

When the Sixers hosted Tatum and the Celtics on February 20, the All-Star forward checked in for 34 minutes. He shot 5-13 from the field and scored 15 points. Tatum racked up a triple-double by coming down with 11 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists.

This season, Tatum has played in 58 of 61 games for the Celtics. Amid another All-Star run, Tatum has averaged 27 points on 35 percent shooting from deep. He’s also been producing nine rebounds and six assists per game.

With two wins in a row, the Celtics are looking to pick up their 45th win of the year against the Sixers on Thursday. The Celtics are 2-1 over Philadelphia this year. For the third year in a row, the Celtics have a chance to win the regular-season series against the Sixers.

The Sixers and the Celtics are set for a 7:30 PM ET tip on Thursday.

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Justin Grasso was a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s Philadelphia 76ers On SI Network. Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writers Association. Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoMedia Threads: @JGrassoMedia

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