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Jayson Tatum leaves Celtics’ Game 4 loss to Knicks with leg injury
Tatum was not able to put any weight on his right leg while leaving the court at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
An already brutal night for the Boston Celtics ended in disaster after Jayson Tatum appeared to suffer a serious injury.
With less than three minutes remaining on the clock in the Knicks’ 121-113 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Tatum suffered what appeared to be a non-contact ankle/foot injury while trying to beat OG Anunoby to a loose ball.
As Anunoby scooped up the loose ball en route to a dunk down the other end of the floor, Tatum writhed on the Madison Square Garden hardwood in clear pain — grabbing his ankle. Tatum eventually made his way off the court with the help of Boston’s training staff, putting no weight on his right leg.
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As the Celtics attempted to claw back in the fourth quarter, ESPN cameras captured Tatum — with his face in his hands — in a wheelchair headed to the locker room after the injury.
Speaking after Boston’s loss in New York, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said that there is no official update yet on Tatum’s injury.
“No, [no updates] yet,” Mazzulla said. “It’s a lower-body injury, we’re going to get an MRI tomorrow. He’s with the doctors now. I just asked him how he’s doing. We’ll get the MRI tomorrow, and we’ll see what it is. Obviously always concerned about someones health, so it’s twofold, we’re concerned about his health and where he’s at, and we’re concerned with what we have to do better for Game 5 back in Boston.
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“Obviously you’re always worried about someone’s health so the fact that he had to be carried off … he’s the type of guy that usually gets right back up. It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
It’s unclear what type of injury Tatum suffered on the play, although the non-contact nature of the play and the optics of the Celtics superstar forward grabbing his achilles raises fears of an ailment that could sideline Tatum well beyond this current postseason.
Several NBA stars, including LeBron James, took to social media immediately after the play to wish Tatum well.
Prior to his injury, Tatum was in the midst of one of his best postseason games of his career, leading Boston with 42 points (16-of-28 shooting) with eight rebounds four assists, four steals, and two blocks.
The Celtics — now down 3-1 in their series against New York — will likely have to stave off elimination on Wednesday night at TD Garden without their best player on the parquet.
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