Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight against Indiana Pacers? Latest on 4x All-Star's status for  (Dec. 4)

Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics will visit the Indiana Pacers for a 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinal game tonight. The Celtics will miss a key piece in Kristaps Porzingis but will have Tatum available. The team will need an extra special outing from their MVP candidate to advance in their bid to win the inaugural NBA Cup.

Tatum's durability and availability have been excellent again. He has played in all 19 games for the season. The All-Star forward is averaging a team-high 27.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists, shooting 49.9%, including 36.2% from the arc. The Celtics are a league beast 15-4 behind his heroics.

Tatum has been dominant with or without his co-stars Jaylen Brown, Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, so it's clear the Celtics' ceiling is as high as his. It's a high-stakes game against a worthy opponent like the Indiana Pacers, so the Celtics forward's presence is crucial.

The Pacers boast an NBA record of 123.8 efficiency, so Tatum must ensure the Boston Celtics are on their toes on offense. Their defense could be leaky in Porzingis' absence at the rim.

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Jayson Tatum goes off at ejection in last game

Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are coming off a hard-fought 125-119 win against the shorthanded Philadelphia 76ers on Friday. The Sixers were without their best players, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, but were close to embarrassing their conference rivals behind Patrick Beverley's season-high 26 points.

Tatum finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and four assists but committed seven turnovers. His last turnover came in the final seconds of the third quarter. That was, unfortunately, the end of his night, too.

Jayson Tatum received a second technical foul that saw him record his second career ejection. He was issued a tech in the first quarter before. The second tech came after he argued an offensive call he was whistled for.

The Celtics won despite Tatum's absence in the clutch, but the All-Star wasn't impressed with the officiating.

"I was extremely surprised," Tatum told reporters after the game. I mean, y'all saw what happened. Might not know what I said, but I mean, I guess whatever I said doesn't matter at this point. I don't agree with that.

"One of the assistant coaches was there with me, doesn't agree. But it doesn't really matter, right? ... When they throw you out, they throw you out."

Jayson Tatum said he didn't use a cuss word to express his frustration with the referees, which made his ejection even more surprising. Nevertheless, the Celtics star will hope for a better way to end his game on Monday and lead Boston to the semi-finals of the NBA In-Season Tournament.