“Certain calls I feel like you can’t miss. Your job is to protect the guys on the court. I could’ve been out for six weeks. That (stuff) is frustrating.” Jayson Tatum was clearly displeased in the aftermath of the recent Celtics-Bucks matchup. After putting up memorable scores during his team’s recent regular season run, the last thing he would have wanted was to incur an injury. Unfortunately, the Celtics star did end up twisting his ankle after Giannis Antetokounmpo came into contact with him. Currently possessing a 9-3 win record, the last time that the defending champions would want is to lose their lead scorer so early on. Fortunately, despite what Tatum claimed about “could’ve been out for six weeks”, his ailment will not keep him away from the court for the time being.

Earlier today, ‘The Athletic’ reporter Jay King provided an update on Jayson Tatum’s availability status. The Boston Celtics are next set to go up against the Brooklyn Nets less than 24 hours from now. With the Hawks matchup having concluded recently, the 26-year-old isn’t getting much time to rest. Despite this, King revealed that “Jayson Tatum said his ankle is a little tender but he will play tomorrow.” The injury didn’t stop him from dropping 20 points in 37 minutes during the Hawks matchup, and it doesn’t look like it will stop him against Ben Simmons and co either.

After incurring the left ankle sprain during the Bucks matchup, Jayson Tatum ended up reaggravating his injury during the recent most game. The same occurred when the player ended up unexpectedly landing on Larry Nance Jr.’s foot in an attempt to block the Atlanta Hawks’ Center/Power Forward. With 4:29 left in the fourth quarter, Tatum hopped around for a bit, reportedly in pain, and continued playing on. Through this action, the Jordan Brand signee was putting himself at risk of further aggravating his ankle. However, looking at how the Celtics ended up losing against the Hawks by 117-116, a 1-point margin, Jayson Tatum may have formed the belief that he cannot rest when the team needs him.

“It was like two minutes left in the game, so just had to push through” said the 26-year-old Celtics champion, later explaining his decisions.

Jayson Tatum may still be far from fully recovering from his sprain, raising questions about how he will perform against the Brooklyn Nets. However, if history is any guide, Ben Simmons and his squad can undoubtedly expect tough competition heading their way.

How has Jayson Tatum performed against the Brooklyn Nets over the last 10 games?

During Jayson Tatum’s 7 years in the NBA, he has gone up against the Brooklyn Nets 26 times! The odds haven’t worked out too well for the Nets during these games. After all, Tatum and co lead them with a 18-8 win record. With the exception of a matchup back in November 2023, the defending champions have emerged victorious 9 out of the last 10 games. In all these matchups, Jayson Tatum’s contribution was nothing short of memorable.

Over the last 10 games against the Nets, the 5x NBA All-Star has averaged an impressive 28 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists. He achieved this by shooting 47.3% from the field, 40.9% from beyond the arc, and an outstanding 90.9% from the free-throw line. Not once did his scoring dip below 20 points, and he even notched a 41-point performance in a matchup back in February.

In the most recent Celtics-Nets matchup this past Friday, Tatum’s performance was especially praised. Not only did he contribute 33 points to the scoreboard, but his clutch three-pointer at the end of regulation also helped save the Celtics. After witnessing that moment, it’s safe to say no fan would want to see Jayson Tatum absent in the upcoming game.