Brad Stevens weighs whether Jayson Tatum minutes impacted Game 7 absence

BOSTON — In Game 6 of the Boston Celtics' first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, star forward Jayson Tatum logged his second-most minutes of the season for the Green Team. The six-time All-Star — who is still less than a year removed from rupturing his right Achilles — was unable to finish that 113-97 loss for the Celtics because the game was out of hand and, most notably, due to tightness that popped up in his left knee. That discomfort persisted for Tatum, so much so that Boston's franchise cornerstone couldn't suit up for Game 7 on Saturday night. The Celtics then dropped that must-win contest, 106-93, and were left with a season-ending defeat and their earliest exit from the postseason since 2021.

Jayson Tatum on his “day-to-day” status:

“I know for a fact I would’ve been able to play if we made it to the second round.” pic.twitter.com/HQz0rLs3mn

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 3, 2026 Since the summer started early for the Celtics, Tatum will have a fair amount of time to heal up and deal with the stiffness he experienced behind his left knee. But how exactly did that pain manifest? Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens considered that question when asked about Tatum's increased workload in the playoffs, which featured two games with over 40 minutes played and an average of 36.3 minutes through six outings. "Do we think that had an impact on his knee stiffness and the injury in Game 6?" Stevens posed on Wednesday morning during his exit interview. "Hard to tell, but you can't cross it off. So we have to look at that." Did a gradual increase in minutes impact Jayson Tatum’s stiffness in Game 6?

“Hard to tell, but you can’t cross it off. So we have to look at that.”

“I feel really comfortable that the (medical staff) worked their butts off to try to get everybody on the court. And they did an… pic.twitter.com/qpiRWalhQi

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 6, 2026 Tatum returned from injury on March 6 and only entered 16 games during the 2025-26 regular season. And while Boston did its best to ramp up Tatum's minutes and get him prepared for the physical challenge of the postseason, the 28-year-old only had a single 40-minute game before taking on the Sixers. Stevens later said that the Celtics medical staff would review what happened with Tatum's minutes before praising them for their work this season. "I feel really comfortable that they've worked their butts off to try to get everybody on the court," Stevens said of the medical team. "And they did an amazing job with JT, and he did an amazing job all year...to be able to play a lot if needed." The members of the Celtics medical staff are far from the only people who'll be reflecting on what might have went wrong during the playoffs. The players will, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla will, and Stevens and the front office have already done so. "I think we all could have done better; there's no question about it," Stevens stated at the Auerbach Center. "And I think we're all looking forward to improving off of that." As Tatum rests and gets ready for his tenth season with the Celtics, Stevens and the rest of the Green Team's executives will evaluate the roster and, in all likelihood, make some changes. "The reality is that we came up short," Stevens admitted. "And so now the job is to do an honest assessment." Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on: Blue Wire:  iTunes:  YouTube:  *This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: *