Celtics star Jayson Tatum is feared to have suffered a torn achilles during Game 4 of Boston’s defeat to the New York Knicks.
Tatum was carried off the floor late in the fourth quarter with Boston down nine and that could be the last time we see the 27-year-old for quite some time if the injury is as serious as expected.
The Knicks took a 3-1 series lead and the Celtics now face a monumental task to overturn the deficit without their leading player, who put in a phenomenal performance on the night with 42 points, eight rebounds and four assists.
The fact it was a noncontact injury to the lower leg suggests the worst has indeed happened and Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum will undergo an MRI to determine the severity.
When Tatum’s partner-in-crime Jaylen Brown was asked about what it could mean for the Boston franchise going forward, he replied: “I’m not sure. I’ve got no words right now.”
Tatum has been labelled as the NBA’s Iron Man over the course of his eight-year career. Prior to sustaining a wrist injury in the first round against the Orlando Magic, he had never missed a playoff game since being drafted in 2017.
He has played over 1,500 minutes more than anyone else in the league upon entering and the ten games he missed in the regular season this year were the most in his career, in a handful of which he was rested.
WATCH: Jayson Tatum is helped off the court with feared achilles tear
Jayson Tatum was helped off the court late in Game 4 after an apparent leg injury on this play. pic.twitter.com/UF8D4mxqlo
— ESPN (@espn) May 13, 2025
Widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA, Tatum is soon to be awarded with a fourth-straight First Team All-NBA honor after averaging 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists in the regular season.
The former Duke Blue Devil lifted his first championship last summer when beating the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals and will likely finish the current postseason with averages of 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists a night.
The league hasn’t seen a back-to-back champion since the Golden State Warriors in 2017 and 2018 – and that trend looks very likely to continue.
