Kevin Garnett said he was “shocked” by Jayson Tatum being ruled out for Boston’s Game 7 vs. the Sixers, citing locker-room morale.
A star’s absence can change the temperature of an entire locker room, and Kevin Garnett says he was stunned by what happened before Jayson Tatum’s Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tatum appeared to tweak something in his leg during Boston’s Game 6 loss to the Sixers. but neither he nor the Celtics appeared to treat the situation as a major availability issue ahead of the decisive Game 7 on May 2.. After Game 6. Tatum said he noticed his leg felt stiff after coming out of the third quarter. explaining he was assessing the moment because the game had already fallen out of reach once the starters were removed.
In the immediate aftermath, Joe Mazzulla pointed to Tatum’s expectation to play, saying the forward would be available.. The Celtics submitted what was described as a clean injury report on Friday. and the team did not appear to be signaling concern inside its own building before Saturday’s pivotal game.
Still, hours before tip-off at TD Garden, the picture changed.. After the team’s final injury report was filed. Tatum was listed as “questionable” with “left knee stiffness” roughly six hours before the start.. Ahead of the game itself. he was ruled out. and Boston ultimately fell to Philadelphia. ending its season in a 109-100 defeat.
Garnett. speaking on the latest episode of the “KG Certified” podcast alongside Paul Pierce. admitted he was “shocked” to see Tatum ruled out for what turned out to be Boston’s final game.. He argued that if the Celtics had believed he was going to play and Tatum instead arrived and then reported he wouldn’t suit up. it would have been demoralizing for the group.
From Garnett’s perspective, it wasn’t just a basketball adjustment on the fly.. He said the situation would have hit the locker room’s morale and the team’s camaraderie at the moment it mattered most.. He added that watching the first minutes of the game. he focused on the bench—trying to gauge how the group responded emotionally to the sudden turn.
Meanwhile. Garnett also framed the broader outcome in straightforward terms: Philly was the better team. and the Celtics did the best they could with the roster they had available.. For him. the question of Tatum’s status connected directly to the way Boston tried to meet that emotional challenge once the game began.
Even with Garnett’s comments about shock, the timeline matters.. The final injury report was said to have been delivered well before tip-off. with the last update coming about two hours before the game.. That detail suggests Tatum’s status may not have been a last-second uncertainty even if it had become a major development once it was officially determined.
Pierce. however. pushed back on some of Garnett’s frustration by emphasizing the logic of protecting a player’s long-term health—especially given Tatum’s recent injury history.. Pierce pointed to Boston’s broader approach after Tatum returned from a ruptured Achilles tendon last May. arguing the organization appeared to make a long-term decision rather than risk further setbacks.
Tatum himself said the Celtics made the call to sit him out. describing what he felt in the knee and how the timing shaped the decision.. He said he experienced “tightness” in the area and that. while unfortunate. the situation also felt somewhat expected given he had been away for nearly ten and a half months before returning to play on an every-other-day rhythm.
He also described the physical demands of his comeback. noting that he was playing roughly in the mid-to-high 30s minutes per game.. In his account. rehab had been progressing well throughout the long recovery. but some sort of issue was inevitable at some point after returning—just with the added complication that it surfaced at the worst possible time.
Jayson Tatum Kevin Garnett Celtics Sixers NBA playoffs Game 7 knee stiffness