Celtics' Jayson Tatum gets brutally honest about absence in Game 7 loss to 76ers

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Celtics' Jayson Tatum gets brutally honest about absence in Game 7 loss to 76ers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Celtics 2025-26 NBA season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs courtesy of the rival Philadelphia 76ers.

Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum spent the last game of Boston's season on the sideline due to a knee injury, despite the fact that he rushed back from an Achilles tear in order to try to help the Celtics make a deep postseason run.

Jayson Tatum says missing Game 7 vs. 76ers was a 'tough pill to swallow'​

The injury obviously came at an extremely inopportune time and left Tatum with a bad taste in his mouth after all of the work he did to return from the Achilles injury.

"My recovery and comeback [from the Achilles injury] were going so well that how it ended, I didn't think it was going to end that way. It was just unfortunate," Tatum said, via ESPN.

"I worked really, really, really, really hard to come back in the fashion that I did and play at the level I was playing at. So for it to end the way it did was a tough pill to swallow.

"... And it was tough, obviously, working as hard as I did to come back and to be available and for it to come to a Game 7, not be able to be out there. I just keep saying this was unfortunate and it's tough to deal with, but it's a plan that we have to stick to."

At the end of the day, Tatum's long-term health took precedence over a single game, even if it was an elimination game in the postseason. After a major injury to one leg, the odds of an injury to the other leg become higher, and the Celtics simply didn't want to take the chance.

Despite the ultimate outcome, Tatum is still happy that he was able to overcome the Achilles injury and return to be a part of the Celtics team this season.

"I'm very happy that I came back to be a part of his team, to get back to doing what I love, to help us, give us a chance to compete for a championship, to prove to myself that I can get back to being the guy who I was, and hopefully better," Tatum sad.

The season didn't end the way that Tatum would have hoped, but Boston's early exit could be a blessing in disguise for him. Now he'll get an extended offseason to rest and heal his body and come back 100% for the start of next season.

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