Jayson Tatum out of Health and Safety protocol, works towards Boston Celtics return

NBA: Playoffs-Boston Celtics at Toronto Raptors

Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum is now out of the NBA’s COVID-19 Health and Safety protocol.

Before the Wednesday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Brad Stevens said Tatum was back in Boston working towards a return.

“He worked out yesterday, real briefly. I think he did some work back in Boston today,” Stevens said. “He feels great. He’s out of the protocol but now he has to ramp back up the activity.”

The Celtics’ Robert Williams exited the protocol earlier this week, passing a battery of tests to make sure he was capable of playing. Stevens says the process is different for different players.

“I think it’s gonna depend on each guy, and how they come back from it themselves from the standpoint of just physiologically how they’re feeling,” he said. “Obviously they have to go through a series of tests, including the heart test after to be cleared to return to any activity. And then it’s a little bit different for Robert because he wasn’t playing 35 minutes a game before that like Jayson was.”

Williams will be available for 10-to-15 minutes against Philly tonight.

“When Jason gets back we’ll have to manage those minutes appropriately,” Stevens said. “The idea of being inactive for 14 days I think is a challenge.”

The Celtics had three of their games postponed after Tatum and Williams entered the protocol. The next chance for Tatum to return would be Friday for the second game of this mini-series with the Sixers. Stevens has said that Tatum’s availability for that is still to be determined.

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