Celtics' Jayson Tatum clarifies severity of left knee injury following Game 7 loss to 76ers

The Celtics, however, lost 109-100 on Saturday night, blowing a 3-1 postseason lead for the first time in franchise history. It's the first time Boston has failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs since the 2020-21 season. 

If Tatum had played, that could've helped Boston avoid elimination. The one-time champion averaged 23.3 points per game during the series against Philadelphia.

The Celtics may have ramped up his workload too soon. Tatum, who returned to the lineup on March 6, gradually increased his playing time over the course of the regular season. He was playing 32.6 minutes per game by the end of it, the third-lowest mark of his nine-year career in Boston. During the postseason, that figure increased to 36.3 minutes per game. 

"It was just unfortunate timing, but I guess a little bit to be expected, right? I was away for 10-and-a-half months, and then I came back, and I'm playing every other day," he said. "I was playing 36-40 minutes, so it's not unusual that something would come up.

"I was just kind of tough because rehab was just going so well the entire time. I guess it was inevitable at some point that I was gonna have to deal with something, and it just kind of came at the worst possible time."

Boston may not have to worry about this next season. Tatum, 28, will have an offseason without having to focus on rehabbing his Achilles. He can use that to ensure the Celtics rebound from the disastrous postseason loss to the 76ers.