On April 24, the NBA playoffs continued, with the Boston Celtics hosting the first-round G2 matchup against the Orlando Magic. However, in this crucial battle, the team's core player Jayson Tatum failed to play, officially ending his amazing record of 114 consecutive playoff appearances since entering the league in 2017. This is also the first time in Tatum's NBA career that he has missed a playoff game due to injury.

According to the Celtics' official injury report before the game, Tatum was injured in the distal radius of his right hand due to a malicious foul by Magic player Pope in Game 1. After examination, it was confirmed to be a contusion, so he was listed as an absentee for this game. Although Tatum himself said in the post-match interview that the injury was " not serious " , he failed to show up in today's warm-up training and ultimately failed to make the starting roster.

Tatum's absence is undoubtedly a blow to the Celtics. Since joining the Celtics with the third pick in the 2017 draft, he has not only grown rapidly into the league's top striker, but also the team's absolute core in the playoffs. He has maintained a record of full attendance in the playoffs for the past seven seasons, playing in 114 games without missing a single one. This iron-man-level performance was also extremely rare in the history of the league.

Despite the absence of Tatum, the Celtics still fought tenaciously under the leadership of another core player Porzingis, and finally withstood the impact of the Magic at home, temporarily relieving the pressure caused by Tatum's absence. However, whether Tatum can return in the next series G3 is still unknown. The team officials said that they will make a decision based on the results of the subsequent review.

It is reported that Tatum's recovery plan after the injury is mainly based on daily assessments, and the medical team will make further judgments based on the degree of swelling and wrist mobility. Considering his important position in the team, the Celtics are expected to arrange his return after ensuring his health.

It is worth noting that although this injury broke Tatum's record of consecutive playoff appearances, it also indirectly reflects his ability and willpower to maintain his physical condition over the past years. For the Celtics and fans, the biggest concern is whether his injury will affect this round of the series or even the entire playoffs.

The next G3 game will be moved to Orlando. Whether Tatum can return to the battlefield will greatly affect the Celtics' direction in the playoffs. In any case, the moment when Tatum missed the playoffs for the first time in his career has been engraved in the memory of the NBA .