With the game already out of reach and some minor discomfort, the Boston Celtics opted to take Jayson Tatum in the third quarter of their loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday.
Tatum went to the locker room before ultimately making his way back to the bench.
However, coach Joe Mazzulla opted to err on the side of caution and kept his best player under wraps.
Given that Tatum is coming off a major injury, it didn’t take long before fans sounded the alarms. That’s why he wanted to clear the air and ease everyone’s minds.
Jayson Tatum isn’t worried about his leg
“My leg was just a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter. Just kind of assessed in the moment, the game was a little out of reach. We took the starters out and let the bench guys go in,” he said (h/t Underdog NBA).