The Boston Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 145-108 on Saturday.
They are now 2-1 on their four-game West Coast trip, 8-6 on the road, and stay tied for the best record in the NBA this season (22-6).
But while the visitors comfortably cruised to victory at Crypto.com Arena, they received a scare when Jayson Tatum elevated for a side-step three and landed on the foot of Kobe Brown.
While the four-time All-Star made the shot, he stayed down for a bit afterward, working to loosen his left ankle.
The three-time All-NBA selection was inactive for Boston’s 144-119 win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday due to spraining that same ankle when he stepped on Brandin Podziemski’s foot in the first frame of Tuesday’s 132-126 loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Fortunately, Tatum stayed in Saturday’s contest, finishing with a game-high 30 points. He shot 9/16 from the field and buried 5/10 attempts from beyond the arc.
And while he again landed on a defender’s foot after taking a three in the third quarter, that didn’t appear to agitate the injury.
After logging 30:20 in the victory, the most of anyone on either side, the former Duke Blue Devil conveyed his immediate reaction when he first rolled his left ankle again.
“This is some (expletive),” shared Tatum. “But it was taped up well, and it was just a small tweak, so I was able to keep playing, and I felt fine after that.”
Tatum and the Celtics will now turn their attention to a Christmas showdown against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers. That matchup will tip off at 5:00 p.m. EST.
