Overview
- Tatum was ruled out Saturday less than two hours before tipoff with what the team called left knee stiffness.
- Head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum arrived with knee discomfort and that he and the medical staff made the call, listing him day-to-day.
- The issue surfaced in Game 6 when Tatum left with leg stiffness, then downplayed it and initially expected to play before being tagged questionable earlier Saturday.
- Jaylen Brown now carries the scoring load, with Derrick White and Payton Pritchard expected to take on more creation and shooting.
- Tatum missed most of the season after a right Achilles rupture and played only limited games, and Boston now faces a do-or-die home Game 7 against Philadelphia at TD Garden after once leading the series 3–1.