Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Ruled Out Vs. Raptors With Lingering Injury

Jayson Tatum previously indicated the discomfort of playing with an ongoing wrist injury and it’ll sideline the Boston Celtics star Saturday night when his team faces off against the Toronto Raptors.

Tatum, who notched a career-high mark in rebounds with 19 during Thursday’s win over the Golden State Warriors, has adapted to playing while simultaneously enduring the wrist discomfort. And when analyzing the 24-year-old’s statistics, you wouldn’t be able to tell.

Against the defending NBA champs, Tatum was heroic. And it didn’t take another 50-point performance to do so. Instead, Tatum scored 34 points with six assists and three steals for the Celtics while he also managed to overcome a series of uncharacteristic miscues. Tatum committed seven turnovers — the most since Dec. 4 — against the Brooklyn Nets — yet played 48 minutes which tied his career-high.

However, on Friday, the Celtics announced that Tatum will be sidelined against the Raptors.

Tatum’s wrist injury is anything but a new development. He’s missed just two of Boston’s 46 games played this season.

On Jan. 12, Tatum offered further context regarding the injury, which he’s dealt with since the start of the season. This came after the Celtics had defeated the Brooklyn Nets, a contest where Tatum was tasked to lead without the assistance of Jaylen Brown — which he did.

“If you look at my hand, I got tape on my wrist, tape on my thumb,” Tatum said postgame. per NBC Sports Boston video. “I had to tape my middle finger and ring finger together. I got a lot of (expletive) going on. But that played a part just lingering things and it was uncomfortable tonight. But I love to play too much to sit out.”

The Celtics will look to keep their win streak (eight games) alive and improve their league-best record (34-12). Tipoff against the Raptors at Scotiabank Arena is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET on Saturday night.