Jayson Tatum will miss Celtics game against Thunder

Jayson Tatum will not play during Thursday night’s matchup with the Thunder, the Celtics announced via an injury report.

Tatum is still managing the right Achilles injury that caused him to miss the bulk of the regular season. This will be the first game he has missed since returning against the Mavericks on Friday.

Tatum has played exactly 27 minutes in all three games since his return. He has said publicly that he’s on a minutes restriction. He is averaging 19.7 points, but he is shooting 39.3 percent from the field. He is also shooting just 29 percent from 3-point range.

Tatum has shown flashes of scoring ability, but his jumpshot and overall leaping ability both need work. He has yet to block a shot this season, and his rebounding numbers have taken a dip since he grabbed 12 in his return.

The Celtics are 2-1 since Tatum returned to the lineup. The C’s beat the Mavericks and Cavaliers by double digits, but they lost to the Spurs by nine after Jaylen Brown was ejected in the first half.

Payton Pritchard, who missed Tuesday’s game with neck spasms, will return Thursday night against OKC. Derrick White, who scored a game-high 34 points against the Spurs, is questionable with a right knee contusion.

The Thunder (51-15) have the best overall record in the NBA. They’re also the defending NBA champions. The Celtics are (43-22) are second in the Eastern Conference behind Detroit and have the fourth-best record in the league.

OKC has won nine of its last 10 games. They’re 27-6 at home this year. This will be the Celtics’ first time visiting the Thunder this season. The Celtics will host the Thunder at TD Garden on March 25.

Boston has won seven of its last 10 games. The matchup with OKC, which will be broadcast on Prime Video, is the last game of the Celtics’ current road trip. They’ll return home for a three-game home stand, starting with the Wizards on Saturday.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports Reporter

Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.