The Boston Celtics suffered a tough Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but the biggest loss of the night may have come when Jayson Tatum injured his leg during the fourth quarter.
Tatum had to be helped to the locker room, and he was later seen in a wheelchair. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to learn more about the severity of his injury, but it's not looking good for Tatum and the Celtics as they head into Wednesday's Game 5 down 3–1 to the Knicks.
Tatum's Celtics teammates were left short on words after Game 4 while they dealt with the possibility of losing Tatum for the rest of the series on top of knowing they need to win on Wednesday in order to stay alive in the postseason.
Jaylen Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, described the Celtics' reaction perfectly.
“It’s tough. There’s not really a lot to say,” Brown said, via The Athletic's Jay King. “Tonight is tough. I think everybody’s at a loss for words because of not just losing the game, but obviously the concern for JT.”
Jaylen Brown: “Tonight is tough. I think everybody’s at a loss for words.” pic.twitter.com/Yo3E1uY677
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) May 13, 2025
Al Horford reiterated Brown's concern for Tatum in his postgame comments.
“The loss is the loss. More importantly, it’s Jayson I’m worried about,” Horford said. "Just making sure that I'm there for him, and that's my priority."
Al Horford reacts to Jayson Tatum’s injury. pic.twitter.com/DWywl6ZEcq
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) May 13, 2025
Derrick White emphasized the emotions the Celtics feel for Tatum, while also acknowledging that the Celtics will need to adjust their game plan to win on Wednesday.
“I mean honestly that's our brother. You hate to see him go down," White said. "... We just gotta find a way to win Game 5."
Derrick White on Jayson Tatum’s injury:
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) May 13, 2025
“I mean honestly thats our brother. You hate to see him go down.” pic.twitter.com/nINWFzXxbk
More will come out about Tatum's injury on Tuesday, and the Celtics will plan accordingly after that newsdrops. Regardless, Tatum's teammates will be there to support him one way or another.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jaylen Brown, Celtics Stars React to Jayson Tatum's Leg Injury in Game 4 Loss.
