Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum did not play in his team's season-ending Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday due to left knee stiffness.
The Celtics initially listed Tatum as questionable after he experienced discomfort in Thursday's Game 6 loss. The 28-year-old left for the locker room with four minutes remaining in the third quarter and didn't play again in the second half. Although Tatum returned to the bench in the fourth, Boston entered the frame down by 19 points, and head coach Joe Mazzulla opted not to call on the star again.
Tatum averaged 21.8 points, 10 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 1.4 steals in 16 regular-season games after returning from a torn Achilles suffered in last year's postseason. The six-time All-Star scored 23.3 points per game in Boston's series against Philadelphia - second on the team behind longtime teammate Jaylen Brown - while leading the club with 10.7 boards and 6.8 assists through six games.
Philadelphia moved on to face the New York Knicks in the second round. The Celtics led the series 3-1 before dropping three consecutive contests.
