Considered day-to-day after falling hard on his wrist during the fourth quarter of Sunday’s series opener, Tatum will not play in Game 2. During the regular season, Al Horford was the replacement in the starting lineup when the Celtics were forced to play without a starter; that should be the case on Wednesday. However, more minutes will also be available to Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser as Boston looks to take a 2-0 series lead.

Previous reports indicated that Tatum would be considered “day-to-day”, so this shouldn’t be a lengthy absence for him. However, he is expected to miss this game, which will provide the Magic a chance to steal homecourt advantage. Al Horford and Sam Hauser are the likely candidates to move into the starting unit, though Payton Pritchard will certainly take one extra minutes off the bench.

Tatum took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of Game 1, and though he remained in the game, he left early after looking uncomfortable. Tatum’s status for Game 2 is a monster storyline, and if the superstar forward is not able to go, his playing time could be filled with a committee approach. Guys like Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Al Horford could see bumps in playing time if Tatum is sidelined.

Tatum got his 2025 playoffs off to a slow start, and that was before he landed hard on a drive to the basket during the fourth quarter. The Celtics star landed on his already-injured right wrist, and although he stayed in the game, the injury was a concern. Tatum would eventually get the wrist taped, but he never looked comfortable, even after exiting for good with a little over two minutes remaining. Game 2 of the series is on Wednesday; hopefully, the extra day off does Tatum some good regarding his right wrist.