Boston star continues managing Achilles injury.
The Boston Celtics (43-22) will once again be without their most important player Thursday night.
Jayson Tatum has been ruled out for Boston’s matchup with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder (51-15) as he continues managing the Achilles injury that sidelined him for much of the season.
The decision marks the first game Tatum will miss since returning to the lineup last week.
After months of recovery following Achilles surgery, the Celtics star had appeared in three games since his return - each with a carefully managed workload. Tatum logged exactly 27 minutes in each of those contests and has been open about the fact that he is operating under a minutes restriction as he works his way back into full playing shape.
The early returns have been a mix of encouraging flashes and understandable rust.
Tatum is averaging 19.7 points since returning, but he has shot just 39.3% from the field and 29% from three-point range during that stretch. There have been moments where he has looked like the six-time All-Star who drives Boston’s offense, including several scoring bursts late in games, but the rhythm - and some of the explosiveness - is still coming back.
Mar 10, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots the ball against San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) in the second half at Frost Bank Center. (Daniel Dunn/Imagn Images)That process was visible again Tuesday night in San Antonio (48-17).
The Celtics stayed competitive against the San Antonio Spurs before ultimately falling 125-116 in a game that took a dramatic turn when Jaylen Brown was ejected late in the second quarter after picking up two technical fouls in rapid succession.
Despite being short-handed, Boston hung around behind a 34-point performance from Derrick White and a career night from Ron Harper Jr. off the bench.
Boston is 2-1 since Tatum returned to the lineup, with double-digit wins over the Dallas Mavericks (21-44) and Cleveland Cavaliers (40-26) before Tuesday’s loss.
There is at least some good news on the injury front. Payton Pritchard, who missed Tuesday’s game with neck spasms, is expected to return to the lineup against Oklahoma City. White, however, is listed as questionable with a right knee contusion.
Even without Tatum, the Celtics face one of the league’s toughest challenges.
The Thunder enter Thursday’s game with the NBA’s best record at 51-15 and have won nine of their last 10 games while dominating at home.
For Boston, the matchup also represents the final game of its current road trip before returning to TD Garden for a three-game homestand beginning Saturday.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.