Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is listed as questionable for Game 7 Saturday, May 2, against the Philadelphia 76ers. The team announced the forward’s downgraded status Saturday afternoon after he developed what the team said is “left knee stiffness” which forced him to leave Game 6 with about four minutes left in the third quarter.
Tatum, 28, is a game-time decision for the winner-take-all game at the TD Garden, per the team.
Tatum had been seen with an ice pack on his left calf, and reporters on the scene described it as a calf issue.
He was in the hallway working on the stationary bike during Thursday night’s game, but eventually just headed into the locker room and did not return as the Celtic s fell 106-93. That loss allowed Philadelphia to erase a 3-1 series deficit and force the win-or-go-home game on Saturday.
Tatum downplayed the injury after Thursday night’s loss.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.
See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.
Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen before Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Josh Hart #3 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The Nike Lebron XXIII shoes worn by Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) against the Houston Rockets in the first half during game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs, at Crypto.com Arena.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
Shoes worn by Anthony Edwards #5 of the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during Game One of the First Round of the NBA Western Conference Playoffs at Ball Arena on April 18, 2026, in Denver, Colorado.
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 18: The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Karl-Anthony Towns #32 of the New York Knicks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
9 / 9
Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker style
The shoes of Jonathan Kuminga #0 of the Atlanta Hawks are seen during the third quarter of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
“My leg was just a little stiff when I came out,” he said after the game. “It was my other leg. Not the one I injured last year. I wasn’t overly concerned.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was direct on Friday, telling reporters: “He’ll play.”
There are some reasons to be concerned about it.
Tatum missed the first 62 games of this season, recovering from a torn right Achilles suffered in the 2025 playoffs. While Saturday’s issue involves the left knee, the opposite leg, there is speculation that it may have been caused by Tatum trying to physically compensate for the Achilles injury.
Before leaving Game 6, Tatum was averaging 23.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.8 assists in the series while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. Boston is a plus-28 in his minutes this series.
If Tatum cannot play, Baylor Scheierman or Jordan Walsh would likely start in his place with Payton Pritchard, Boston’s third-leading scorer this season, also a candidate to move into the starting lineup.
The Celtics led the series 3-1 before Philadelphia won back-to-back games to force Game 7, which tips off at 7:30 p.m. on NBC and Peacock
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jayson Tatum injury update: Celtics star questionable for Game 7
