The defending champion, Boston Celtics, now find themselves in a 3-1 hole against the rival, New York Knicks. However, that is the least of their worries right now. Superstar wing, Jayson Tatum, suffered an Achilles injury in the fourth quarter with 2:58 left in Game Four. Tatum lunged for a loose ball, then fell to the floor in instant pain. After a dunk by Knicks forward, OG Anunoby, the Boston small forward called for a timeout and grabbed a towel and put it over his face, agonizing in pain. Tatum was eventually carried off the floor and was seen in a wheelchair going into the locker room.
Boston will have their work cut out for them as they try to overcome a scrappy New York Knicks squad. As for their future outlook, it is up in the air since Tatum will most likely miss most of, if not, all of next season. They have depth, but there is no guarantee that the Celtics will be able to retain all of their key players going into next year. As for Jayson Tatum, hopefully he can heal and come back at 100 percent in the future. Others from around the Association are wishing Tatum a speedy recovery and hoping the best for him.
Jayson Tatum Carried Off the Floor in Game Four Loss
Other Players’ Reactions to the Injury
There were plenty of reactions from the players after Jayson Tatum was carried off the floor. Boston center, Al Horford, had this to say after the game:
“I mean, at this point, I’m concerned about Jayson,” Horford said. “That’s the most important to me. The game stuff, we’ll address it. But I’m just hoping that he’s okay.”
Knicks center, Karl-Anthony Towns also talked about the injury, wishing Tatum the best going forward.
“I’ve been in a situation like that with my calf [before],” Towns said, “so I just walked up, respectful of his space, and just prayed to my mother, prayed to God, to put protection over him, comfort. Whatever he needs to go through, I hope it’s a quick, painless process. I’m hoping we can see him back here soon, with the superstar talent he is, playing at the highest level.”
Jayson Tatum’s co-star, Jaylen Brown, was also visibly upset for his teammate and didn’t want to talk about the injury very much after the game.
“It’s tough,” Brown said. “Not really a lot to say.”
The Celtics will now rely heavily on their depth with their backs against the wall. The series shifts back to Boston for Game Five on May 14th, 2025.
