A late-developing illness prevented Jayson Tatum from taking the floor Monday night in Orlando.

The Celtics added Tatum to their injury report minutes before their road matchup with the Magic, listing the superstar as questionable with a non-COVID illness.

Al Horford replaced Tatum in the starting lineup. Tatum was not on the bench at tipoff, but Boston had not officially ruled him out as the game began.

Tatum was coming off one of the best performances by any NBA player this season: a 43-point, 16-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in a 123-98 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. He had started all but two of the Celtics’ first 28 games and entered Monday as the team leader in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game.

Before Tatum’s last-minute downgrade, the Celtics were set to have their full roster available for just the second time this season. Rotation wing Sam Hauser returned to action after missing the previous two games with lower back spasms.

A last-minute addition to the Celtics’ injury report, Jayson Tatum was not on the court to start Monday night’s game in Orlando.{ai:summary}<p>Jayson Tatum was unexpectedly ruled questionable for the Celtics' game against the Magic due to a non-COVID illness, leading to Al Horford starting in his place. Tatum had recently delivered a standout performance, recording a triple-double in a previous game.</p><p>Before Tatum's late addition to the injury report, the Celtics were poised to have their full roster available for only the second time this season, with Sam Hauser returning from injury. #sports</p>

Why Jayson Tatum was removed from Celtics’ starting lineup vs. Magic

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