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The Boston Celtics continue to fly high in the Eastern Conference as one of the hottest teams in the entire NBA. On Thursday night, they face a familiar foe in Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in a marquee matchup. The C’s are coming off a big win over the Chicago Bulls where their star duo led the way. However, is Jayson Tatum playing vs Bucks?
Is Jayson Tatum playing vs Bucks
According to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, Tatum will be sidelined for this massive contest due to ongoing knee soreness:
The Celtics say Al Horford and Jayson Tatum won’t play tonight against the Bucks. Horford is out with lower back soreness and Tatum with right patella tendinopathy, which he’s been listed with repeatedly lately.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 7, 2022
This is actually a big blow for the Celtics because they’re currently just half a game ahead of the Bucks for second place in the conference. The Sixers are also right on their heels. Tatum has been Ime Udoka’s best player all season long, putting up 26.9 points, eight rebounds, and 4.4 assists per night. He’s been quieter lately, most likely because of the minor knee injury.
Honestly, this is probably a smart decision by the Celtics. Tatum is the backbone of their offense in particular and if Boston is going to make any type of playoff run, he must be healthy. Al Horford is going to sit here as well with lower back soreness, leaving the frontcourt depth extremely thin.
The Celtics have just one game left after Thursday, facing the Grizzlies on Sunday. That will be Tatum’s next chance to suit up. So to answer the question, is Jayson Tatum playing tonight? The answer is no.