As if dropping Games 5 and 6 to force a Game 7 wasn't troubling enough, the Boston Celtics got some worrisome news just hours before the winner-take-all contest against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Celtics have downgraded Jayson Tatum to questionable for the game because of left knee stiffness. Tatum was not on the injury report on Friday and head coach Joe Mazzulla said he was going to play.

Now there's a question of that, and if he does play, there will be a question about what his effectiveness will be. The Celtics need him at his best if they are going to hold off blowing a 3-1 series lead to their longtime rivals.

The former No. 3 overall pick in the NBA Draft, Tatum is a six-time All-Star, a five-time All-NBA selection and a former All-Star Game MVP. He also won MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021-22 and was a member of 2024 Team USA gold medal winning Olympic team.

He's averaged 23.5 ppg for his career to go along 7.4 rebounds. In just 16 games this season because of his recovery from a torn Achilles, he averaged 21.8 ppg but also secured 10 rebounds.

He has played in 127 career playoff games, helping the Celtics to NBA Finals appearances in 2021-22 and 2023-24. They won the title in the latter campaign.

The short answer is that the Celtics can be beaten. The more fruitful answer is that they'll need a big game from MVP candidate Jaylen Brown, while also getting better performances for Sam Hauser, Derrick White and Neemias Queta, all of whom have struggled to score in this series so far. White has had an especially difficult time, shooting 13-for-45 total in the last five games.

The end of the season, for one. But given the nature of the NBA, any season's end could bring about major organizational changes.

Brown and Tatum appear destined to stay together as a duo, but could the team move off White or Hauser? Could they move off Payton Pritchard, who has emerged as an excellent player this season? Could they make a big run at someone like Giannis Antetokounmpo in the trade market? 

Any and all conversations are possible if Mazzulla's team falls in Game 7. 

If they win, they'll be seen as a favorite to win the Eastern Conference title.

The tip-off for Game 7 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. It will air on NBC.

Remember to join our CELTICS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other Celtics fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!