Jayson Tatum injury: Celtics ‘bracing for worst’ as star guard will likely miss remainder of Knicks series, much more | amNewYork

Fahad Umar
May 13, 2025
11:28 am

May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) is helped off the court by after an injury in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs as New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) gestures at Madison Square Garden. Tatum would leave the game with an injury after this play. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are “bracing for the worst” regarding Jayson Tatum’s right-foot injury, which continues to confirm that the New York Knicks will not see the superstar guard for the remainder of their Eastern Conference semifinal.

ESPN insider Shams Charania reported the grim outlook from the Celtics, adding that “they have been expecting a severe injury,” since it occurred late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s Game 4 loss to New York, which dropped them in a 3-1 series hole. Tatum fell to the floor in a heap with just over three minutes remaining while reaching for Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who came up with a steal and brought it to the other end of the floor for a dunk to put the Knicks up nine. The non-contact nature of the injury immediately suggested that it was serious.

After being helped off the floor, he was transported to the Celtics’ locker room in a wheelchair.

“The fact that he had to be carried off, he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “So, he didn’t… IT’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”

Tatum, who was leading the Celtics in total points, rebounds, and assists for a second straight postseason and was the catalyst of their title-winning team last year, underwent an MRI in New York on Tuesday, though the results of those tests are unknown at this time.

Tatum had scored 42 points with eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks on Monday night before going down, and his absence all but dooms the Celtics’ hopes of pulling off a comeback with Game 5 looming in Boston on Wednesday night.

“I thought he just rolled his ankle,” Knicks star guard Jalen Brunson, who scored 39 points, said. “Obviously, we want to go out there and compete, but when a player of his caliber goes down and he’s rolling in pain like that, you know something’s wrong… You just never want to see something like that, ever.”