BOSTON -- In a seismic development, Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was ruled out of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Philadelphia 76ers with left knee stiffness.
The designation comes just under two hours before tipoff of the conclusion of the latest installment of one of the league's oldest rivalries.
"He just came in today with knee discomfort," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said during his pregame media availability a few minutes after Tatum was ruled out. "And we decided, the medical staff and myself, that he would not play."
Mazzulla, who added that Tatum had discomfort behind his knee and was day-to-day, declined to say who would be starting in Tatum's place. The Celtics eventually announced a starting lineup of Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Jaylen Brown, Ron Harper Jr. and Luka Garza, a grouping that's played zero minutes together before Saturday.
Tatum had originally been listed as questionable with left knee stiffness six hours before tipoff, even though the Celtics had said for two days he didn't have any issues coming out of a loss in Game 6.
Tatum suffered a torn Achilles in his right leg last May -- with the one-year anniversary coming up on Wednesday -- and he returned back in March, only to quickly begin to resemble the player that has consistently been among the league's best for the past several seasons.
But it was his left leg that appeared to be an issue when he left Boston's 106-93 loss to Philadelphia in Game 6 on Thursday night with 4:03 to go in the third quarter. He went back to the locker room for a while, before coming back to the bench early in the fourth quarter. With Boston trailing by more than 20 points in the fourth quarter, Mazzulla decided not to put Tatum back in the game.
Both Mazzulla and Tatum downplayed that there was any issue with the knee after the game.
Saturday's Game 7 will have plenty of history on the line. This is the 23rd time the two teams have squared off in a playoff series -- the most times any two teams have played each other in the postseason in NBA history. Boston, meanwhile, has won six consecutive series between the two teams in the playoffs, going all the way back to 1982 -- the last time Philadelphia won an NBA title.
The Celtics have also been Joel Embiid's biggest nemesis in the playoffs. Tatum and the Celtics have knocked Embiid out of the playoffs three times: a five-game loss in the 2018 conference semifinals, in a 2020 first-round sweep and in 2023 in a second-round series that went the distance after the Celtics came from behind to win Game 6 in Philadelphia.
Boston, which led this series 3-1 before Philadelphia won Game 5 in Boston on Tuesday and Game 6 back in Philly on Thursday, has gone 32-0 in its history when leading 3-1 in a best-of-seven series. The 76ers, on the other hand, are 0-18 when facing that scenario -- the worst mark in NBA history.