Jayson

Tatum

Tatum’s left leg gave him trouble during Boston’s Game 6 loss to the 76ers, but Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was confident on Friday that the star forward would be available for Game 7. Added to the injury report early Saturday afternoon, Tatum is now officially out. Jordan Walsh and Baylor Scheierman are potential replacements in the starting lineup, with the former being the more likely choice due to what he brings to the table defensively.

Tatum was added to the injury report Saturday afternoon as questionable with left knee stiffness. It’s not a good sign for the 28-year-old power forward. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters on Friday that Tatum would play. Now his superstar’s status is legitimately up in the air on the afternoon of Game 7.

Mazzulla was quoted as saying, “He’ll play,” so Celtics fans should expect the superstar to be on the court for the winner-take-all matchup at TD Garden. In seven career Game 7’s, Tatum has averaged 26.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists across 41.5 minutes.

Tatum put up a double-double in the loss, but didn’t log an overly impressive stat line. He took just 13 shots in his 29 minutes of game action, and although he shot fairly well, the limited volume led to his lowest-scoring total of the series. He’s remained strong on the glass throughout the series, but his team would likely benefit from additional contributions in other areas on Saturday when the Celtics host the Sixers in Game 7.

Though it was a subpar shooting night for him, Tatum was still able to make a big impact in this game. He had a point-assist double-double in Game 4, but he got his double-double on the glass in this one. Tatum has shot at least 50 percent in the Celtics’ three wins during this series and below 50 percent in the two losses. If they want to close this series out in Game 6 on Thursday, Tatum will have to shoot the ball better than he did in this game.

Tatum has recorded a double-double in three of the four games in this series, and he notched his first 30-point game in Game 4. The Celtics’ star finished three rebounds shy of a triple-double, with the lone complaint being his five turnovers. Overall, Tatum has gotten sharper by the game, which makes the Celtics a serious threat to win an NBA title. The first order of business for Boston is to close out the 76ers, with Game 5 scheduled for Tuesday at TD Garden.

Tatum iced the game for the Celtics with a pull-up three-pointer from the right wing with 25 second left in regulation. It was the 28-year-old small forward’s fifth three-pointer of the night. Tatum also had seven assists. The Celtics have at least guaranteed a split in Philadelphia, but could really take control of the series with a win in Game four on Sunday.

The lone negative for Tatum in Game 1 was his three-point shooting, as he made just one of seven attempts. However, he shot 80 percent from inside the arc, thanks to a combination of efficient mid-range shooting and the ability to get to the basket at will. Add in the other stats, and Tatum finished three assists shy of a triple-double. Boston will look to extend its series lead with a win in Game 2 on Tuesday night.

Friday’s win over the Pelicans secured the No. 2 seed for the Celtics, giving them nothing to play for in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Brown and Tatum not playing frees up playing time for Baylor Scheierman, Jordan Walsh, Hugo González and recent signing Dalano Banton.

Thursday’s game was the first at Madison Square Garden for Tatum since he ruptured his Achilles tendon during Game 4 of last May’s second-round playoff series. The Celtics star recorded another double-double, his tenth of the season, and he’s scored at least 20 points in seven consecutive games. Add in the assists, and the overall stat line compensated for the low field-goal percentage. Plus, Boston played Thursday’s game without Jaylen Brown, which clearly makes a difference.