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Celtics Rule Jayson Tatum Out vs. Sixers on Wednesday

Jayson Tatum isn't traveling to Philly for Celtics versus Sixers matchup on Wednesday.

Justin Grasso

Like the Philadelphia 76ers, the Boston Celtics have seen their fair share of setbacks this season due to injuries and the effects of playing basketball amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For the last couple of weeks, the Celtics had a handful of games postponed due to a shortage of players.

While Boston is back on the court playing once again, the team is still shorthanded and that won't change on Wednesday when the Celtics come to Philly to match up with the Sixers. On Wednesday, the Sixers and the Celtics are set to face off for the first time during the regular season.

According to Celtics head coach Brad Stevens, the C's could be missing a couple of key players, with one of them being star forward, Jayson Tatum. On Tuesday, Stevens addressed the media following a practice session. That's when it was revealed the Celtics will not have Tatum travel to Philly this week for Wednesday's game.

Tatum, the 22-year-old rising star, has averaged 26 points-per-game in 10 matchups for the Celtics this season. While he hasn't faced the Sixers since Boston swept Philly in the Orlando bubble back in August, Tatum has proven to be a handful against the Sixers in the past. 

Tatum's absence doesn't necessarily create an easy matchup for Philly on Wednesday, but the Sixers will find themselves in a much more favorable position against an Eastern Conference rival. 

Whether Tatum will miss both matchups against the Sixers this week or not remains in question. Although he doesn't plan to travel to Philly on Tuesday, Brad Stevens left the door open for the possibility of having Tatum return on Friday. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter: @JGrasso_

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Justin Grasso
JUSTIN GRASSO

Title: Credentialed writer/reporter covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation Email: JustinGrasso32@Gmail.com Location: Philadelphia, PA Expertise: Reporting, insight, and analysis on the Sixers and the NBA  Justin Grasso is a credentialed writer and publisher covering the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated’s FanNation.  Grasso got his start in sports media in 2016 with FantasyPros, working the news desk, providing game-by-game player analysis and updates on the Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors. By 2017, he joined FanSided’s Philadelphia Eagles site as a staff writer. After spending one season covering the Eagles as a staff writer, Grasso was promoted to become the site’s Co-Editor. For the next two NFL seasons, he covered the Eagles closely before broadening his NFL coverage. For a brief stint, Grasso covered the NFL on a national basis after joining Heavy.com as an NFL news desk writer. In 2019, Grasso joined the 76ers' beat on a part-time basis, stepping into a role with South Jersey’s 97.3 ESPN. Ahead of the 2019-2020 NBA season, he concluded a three-year stint covering the Eagles and joined the Sixers beat full-time. Grasso has covered the 76ers exclusively since then for Sports Illustrated. He is a member of the Pro Basketball Writer’s Association.  Twitter: @JGrasso_ Instagram: @JGrassoNBA

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