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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on January 19, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. 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 Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

The majority of neutrals didn’t envision the Boston Celtics dragging their first round playoff series against the Philadelphia 76ers all the way to Game 7. 

But that has been the case following a 106-93 loss in Game 6 on Thursday night in Philadelphia.

The Celtics looked to have been on a roll with a 3-1 lead, but the Sixers forced a decisive matchup with back-to-back hard-fought wins.

The Sixers deserve full credit for pushing the series so far but just like Boston, they will still have to win one more game at the TD Garden to advance. 

With Game 7 set for Saturday night in Boston, the stakes could not be higher.

Even higher is the timely clarity on the status of their franchise cornerstone, Jayson Tatum, following an injury scare in Game 6.

Jayson Tatum’s Injury Scare 

One word no Celtic fan would want to hear associated with Tatum is injury, but they feared the worst Thursday night. 

The star forward exited in the third quarter with left calf discomfort and did not return, finishing with 17 points and 11 rebounds in 29 minutes.

GettyBoston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum shoots the ball in a game against the 76ers. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

It was the first time in this first-round series that Tatum played under 30 minutes. He was seen on the bench with an ice pack on the calf. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla downplayed any serious injury concerns afterward.

However, according to NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Tatum was seen nursing his calf — an injury area known to raise concern across the league — after he was pulled out of the game. 

“He didn’t play the last 15 [minutes of Game 6]. … [The Celtics] said he was available to go back in the game, but he was rubbing his calf. Now he said he was fine. … Let’s just see the injury report.”

Any concern from Boston fans was understandable. Tatum suffered a right Achilles tear last year at the playoffs. He was sidelined for the majority of the 2025-26 regular season. He only returned to action in early March.

This left calf issue is not fatal compared to the Achilles rupture. Calf strains or tightness are common in the NBA and the limitations they can have on game availability differ. 

Grade 1 strains, for example, have allowed players like Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley to return in as little as five games after an initial two-to-four-week projection in December last year. 

In Tatum’s case, the description is “just a little stiff” and he is not overly concerned, which points toward a minor issue rather than a structural tear or high-grade strain. The 28-year-old Boston star has already shown that he is not going down easily having made a much earlier return from his Achilles injury and has been in the thick of the action for Boston ever since. 

Fortunately, Tatum was not listed on the team’s injury report released Friday. But that doesn’t remotely dismiss any doubt that he may still not be at 100% in Game 7.

Game 7 Urgency Amid Star’s Status

For the Celtics, Saturday’s Game 7 is a classic do-or-die. They are favorites and hold home court advantage but there has been hardly any home court advantage in this series. The Sixers have won two out of the three games played at the TD Garden with Boston’s sole win coming in Game 1.

Tatum’s availability and status close to a 100% will be key for a Boston side that has encountered offensive and defensive lapses in the series. Thursday’s loss was the third game in the first round in which they scored below 100 points. 

Anything less than an efficient offensive clinic for the Celtics will mean an upset will be on the table in the first round.