The Boston Celtics found themselves in a nightmare scenario during Thursday's Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Not only were they being outplayed in every facet at Xfinity Mobile Arena, but their franchise cornerstone, Jayson Tatum, had a brief injury scare that added to the tension.

With the series now knotted at 3-3 after a decisive 106-93 loss, the Celtics face a do-or-die Game 7 back in Boston. Tatum, who managed 17 points and 11 rebounds in just 29 minutes, provided a reassuring update on his condition. According to Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog, the six-time All-Star explained that his early exit in the fourth quarter was more about the game being out of reach than any serious health issue.

"You guys probably saw when I went to the back, saw me on the bike—my leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter," Tatum said postgame. "But just kind of assessing the moment, the game was a little out of reach, we took the starters out and let the bench guys go in."

This is a particularly sensitive topic for Celtics fans, as Tatum suffered a ruptured right Achilles almost exactly one year ago during the 2025 NBA Playoffs, costing him the rest of that postseason and most of the following regular season. However, the discomfort he felt on Thursday was in his opposite leg, and he confirmed to reporters—including Bobby Manning of Celtics CLNS—that he expects to be on the court Saturday for Game 7.

The Celtics entered this series with a commanding 3-1 lead and all the momentum, but a resilient 76ers squad has forced a winner-take-all showdown at TD Garden. Boston has never blown a 3-1 lead in franchise history, and avoiding that fate now hinges on Tatum and the rest of the roster delivering their best performance of the season. A win would send them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the fifth straight year—a feat that seemed all but certain just a week ago.