The Boston Celtics are facing the Oklahoma City Thunder at Paycom Center on Thursday. But before the game, the team made a crucial decision about Jayson Tatum. The superstar forward made a comeback in the NBA after 298 days last week. However, keeping in mind that he just returned from a right Achilles injury, JT will sit out against the No.1 of the West.

In simple terms, the Cs have ruled out Tatum for the OKC game because of right Achilles injury management. Last season, the 28-year-old forward tore his Achilles during the first round playoff series against the New York Knicks.

The setback kept him off the floor for nearly 300 days. However, the recovery moved more quickly than many expected. As a result, Jayson Tatum returned to the Celtics lineup in under 10 months, marking a surprisingly swift comeback after such a brutal injury.

So far this season, Jayson Tatum has appeared in three games. During that short stretch, the Celtics star is averaging 19.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a night. However, his shooting has been uneven, connecting on 39.3 percent from the field and 29.0 percent from beyond the arc.

Well, the NBA fans are looking at the Celtics’ decision differently. According to them, Lu Dort might be the primary reason behind the team’s call.

Lu Dort takes the blame for Boston’s Jayson Tatum decision

“They’re keeping him safe from Lu Dort. Smart move,” one of the fans commented on X. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, Lu Dort has built a reputation as one of the NBA’s toughest perimeter stoppers, with his relentless and bruising defense earning him the fitting tag of a true defensive menace. Therefore, to “protect” Jayson Tatum, fans are assuming Boston decided to sit him out.

Meanwhile, Underdog NBA also hopped on the bandwagon and joked, “Jayson Tatum (Lu Dort management) ruled out Thursday.” To be honest, with or without Dort, the OKC Thunder are still the top team defensively this season. They sit at first with a 106.3 defensive rating.

Someone used James McAvoy’s clip from Filth (2013) and captioned: “Tatum’s achilles is safe for at least another week🙏.” Now, speaking of Lu Dort, the 26-year-old recently faced ejection in Nuggets vs Thunder on Feb 27. The OKC star stood in Nikola Jokic’s way, which led to a ruckus that almost went out of control.

Another fan asked, “Has nothing to do with them playing Lu Dort? Right? 😂” Well, that remains a mystery for everyone to solve! However, keeping aside the jokes, the Celtics are truly sidelining Jayson Tatum for injury management.

Lastly, a supporter appreciated the Cs idea. They wrote, “Good call. Probably not the best idea to allow Lu Dort to tackle your superstar who is fresh off an achilles injury.”

Sometimes the loudest move is the one that keeps a superstar on the bench. The Boston Celtics chose patience with Jayson Tatum, carefully managing his Achilles as the buzz around Lu Dort swirled online. Meanwhile, fans cracked jokes and theories flew everywhere. Yet beneath the humor sits a simple truth. Boston is guarding its franchise star while the season marches on.