Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight against Cleveland Cavaliers? Looking at Celtics star's status for Game 3 (May 11)

NBA: Playoffs-Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston Celtics
Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight against Cleveland Cavaliers? Looking at Celtics star's status for Game 3 (May 11)

Boston Celtics standout Jayson Tatum will be available for the marquee Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday. The series shifts to Cleveland, Ohio, for Games 3 and 4, with tipoff scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET at the Rocket Mortgage Field House.

In a repeat of their previous series, the Celtics stumbled at home after a dominant Game 1 victory. Following a 25-point rout of the Cavaliers on Tuesday, Boston largely appeared lethargic and disengaged during a lopsided 24-point defeat in Game 2.

The Celtics' defense struggled, allowing Cleveland to shoot 54.7%. The Cavaliers drained 13 3-pointers compared to Boston's eight.

Jayson Tatum paced the Celtics with 25 points, but the All-Star struggled with his shot, going 7-of-17 from the floor and 2-of-5 from the beyond the arc, but Tatum made 9-of-11 free throw attempts.

Boston needs to recapture its road magic after a disappointing home defeat in Game 2. The Celtics swept both road games against Miami in the first round and will require a similar performance on Saturday.

The Celtics' defense must adjust to Cleveland after surrendering 54.7% shooting from the field and 46.4% from the 3-point range.

Their offense also needs to rediscover its perimeter touch, having converted just 22.0% of their 3-point attempts in Game 2. Throughout the playoffs, the Celtics have averaged 15 3-pointers per game but only managed eight on Thursday.


What happened to Jayson Tatum?

Jayson Tatum missed eight games this season, including two due to a right ankle impingement. He encountered a setback against the Warriors on Dec. 19 when he sprained his left ankle.

The injury occurred early in the first quarter after Tatum stepped on Brandin Podziemski's foot. Following the mishap, he limped off to the locker room to be assessed.

He made a return at the start of the second quarter, but his agility was clearly diminished, impacting his overall game performance and ability to close out the game.


How to watch Game 3 of Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers?

The highly anticipated Game 3 between the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland. National coverage on ABC and radio broadcast service will be available on ESPN Radio and Sirius XM.

The game will also be available for live streaming on Fubo TV and NBA League Pass, which gives viewers access to NBA TV for a week's long free trial.

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