Jayson Tatum injury update: Celtics star hurt in Game 4, will have MRI on Tuesday
Editor's Note: Jayson Tatum "underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon," on Tuesday, May 13, the Celtics announced.
The Boston Celtics are down 3-1 in the second round of the NBA playoffs, but they may be in bigger trouble than that.
Jayson Tatum, their six-time All-Star guard, suffered a non-contact injury during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on Monday.
With less than three minutes left in the contest, Tatum was diving for a loose ball when he went down immediately in visible pain, holding onto his right ankle. After OG Anunoby put away a fastbreak dunk, play stopped as Tatum was attended to by medical staff.
Tatum was helped off the court by staff and immediately went to the locker room. He didn't put any pressure on his right leg. The ESPN broadcast later showed Tatum in a wheelchair, his hands over his face near the team's locker room.
Jayson Tatum to get MRI on Tuesday
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said he didn't know the injury Tatum suffered but the team will know more on Tuesday when Tatum gets an MRI.
"He’s the type of guy that gets right up. So, he didn’t and we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is. It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that," Mazzulla said.
While the severity of the injury is unknown, it's a brutal moment for the defending champions after Tatum turned in a signature performance. He had 42 points, hitting seven 3-pointers, with eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals as the Celtics led most of the way. Tatum tied Larry Bird and John Havlicek with the most 40-point playoff games for the Celtics, according to ESPN. He has five.
"I never want to see a player get hurt. He's been a great player and a great guy too. I hope it's not a serious injury," Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the game.
Tatum and Jalen Brunson traded 3-pointers late in the third quater and during the fourth as the Knicks took the lead. They went on to win Game 4 121-113, and New York is one win from the Eastern Conference finals. It would be their first trip in 25 years.
Tatum's status for the rest of the series is unclear, but Boston will be playing to save its season Wednesday at TD Garden in Game 5 (7 p.m. ET, TNT).
(This story was updated to include new information).