Jayson Tatum Ruled Out of Game 7 Between Celtics and 76ers With Sudden Leg Injury

The Celtics will be without Jayson Tatum as Boston plays for its season in Saturday night’s Game 7 against the 76ers. He was surprisingly added to the Celtics’ injury report due to stiffness in his left knee and less than two hours before tip, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Tatum will be out with a left leg injury.

Tatum returned late in the regular season after a torn right Achilles he suffered in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Knicks. He made a triumphant return to the court in early March and averaged 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game over 16 appearances in the regular season. Through Boston’s first-round series with Philadelphia, he’s put up 23.8 points along with 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists a night.

Boston's Jayson Tatum is OUT for Game 7 tonight against the Philadelphia 76ers with a left leg injury.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 2, 2026

It’s a brutal blow for the Celtics just ahead of the decider at TD Garden. On the other hand, though, they dealt without Tatum for the great majority of the regular season and maintained their status as a true power in the East.

Boston got out to a 3–1 series lead on the Sixers, but dropped Games 5 and 6 which now puts them on the brink of a shocking elimination. The last time the two storied franchises met in a Game 7, Tatum put together a historic 51-point performance which sent the Celtics to the Eastern Conference finals in 2023. This time, Boston will have to deal without its biggest star and ride Jaylen Brown’s career year, just like it did for most of the season.

Game 7 between the Celtics and 76ers tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET.

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