Jayson Tatum's Mysterious Left Leg and the Celtics' 3-1 Collapse: Game 7 Tonight in Boston

It's win or go home in Boston tonight. The Celtics and 76ers are locked in a Game 7 showdown at TD Garden, and everything that looked inevitable for Boston two games ago is now in complete freefall. The Celtics sat pretty with a 3-1 lead. Now they're one loss away from blowing it entirely.

The Collapse Nobody Saw Coming

Boston absolutely dominated early. Games 1 and 4? Both blowouts, each by 32 points. Then came Game 5 at home, and the Celtics built a 13-point lead with 10:13 left in the third quarter. It looked like a coronation. Instead, the Sixers have outscored the Celtics 169-127 over the last six quarters. The Celtics shot 3 for 22 from the field in the fourth quarter of Game 5. Their offense completely disappeared in Game 6. All the momentum flipped to Philly, who have already stolen two games in Boston and clearly aren't intimidated by Game 7 on the road.

The Sixers Are Built Different Right Now

Tyrese Maxey has been absolutely unreal, averaging 26.3 points and 6.5 assists. Paul George is playing like vintage Paul George. And Joel Embiid's return? He's created real problems for Boston's center rotation. The Sixers smell blood in the water, and they're playing with house money at this point.

The Tatum Question That Could Decide Everything

Jayson Tatum has been incredible all series after missing the first 62 games returning from a torn right Achilles tendon. But here's the problem: he only played 29 minutes in Game 6 and left midway through the third quarter with an apparent issue in his left leg. Tatum said it was "just a little stiff" and he's not "overly concerned." He's not on the injury report. But the concern is real. How much does Tatum have left in the tank for Game 7?

The Celtics are favored by 8.5 points at home, and for good reason. But this series has come down to 3-point shooting, and Boston has gone ice cold. In their three wins, they shot 41.7% from deep. In their three losses? 27.7%. Jaylen Brown has been a disaster in the last two games too, shooting just 16 for 40 with eight turnovers.

Game 7 tips off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC. The Celtics have won 27 Game 7s, more than any team in NBA history. They're 6-2 in Game 7s against Philly. But they've never been here quite like this, not in this series anyway. One game. Everything on the line. This is the playoffs.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.