Google News Jayson Tatum reveals he played injured in playoffs
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Jayson Tatum reveals he probably played the entire postseason with a wrist fracture. In an interview with Taylor Rooks of Bleacher Report, Tatum revealed that he initially sustained a wrist injury on February 14 versus the Atlanta Hawks.
Tatum was scheduled for an MRI during the All-Star break but ultimately decided against it. Then just a few days before the playoffs start, Tatum had his wrist examined. The examination results revealed a non-displaced fracture in his wrist.
Tatum was actually doing well with his wrist until the Eastern Conference Semifinals series versus the Boston Celtics, when he landed on his wrist. From that point on, it was a struggle for Tatum.
Tatum: I received the cortisone shot on the night I injured my wrist
“Come to find out, this was eight weeks later, it showed that I had a non-displaced fracture in my wrist,” Tatum told Bleacher Report’s Taylor Rooks.
“It was small but a non-displaced chip. So I chipped a bone but it didn’t leave the surface. It showed that the bone had grown over it, so it healed, but I was still in pain because I kept getting hit or falling on it.
So I guess I played with somewhat of a fracture for two months. Then in the playoffs, there was a play against Milwaukee in Game 3. I dunked it, Giannis (Antetokounmpo) chased me down and fouled me and I fell into the crowd. That was the most painful it’s been since that day that I hurt it.
I ended up getting a cortisone shot in my wrist that night and you could see it. I’ve lost color in my hand because it kills the fat cells and there’s not a lot of fat in my hand, so I’ve lost color right there.
After each game I would have to wear a brace to shoot around and I would take it off before the cameras saw me”. Still, Tatum was able to lead the Celtics past the Bucks and then the Miami Heat. In the NBA Finals, Tatum didn't particularly impress versus the Golden State Warriors.
Tatum received criticism for not coming up big in the NBA Finals, especially in the key Game 6. In Game 6, Tatum had just 13 points and he received blame following the Celtics' playoffs exit. But if Tatum was indeed battling a wrist injury, it makes sense why he was struggling in the Warriors series.