Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum had a particularly brutal one near the end of the fourth quarter. As fans feared, he was indeed carried off the court during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on Monday night. The injury, which occurred with just 2:58 remaining in the game, raised concerns for the Celtics as they suffered a 121-113 defeat.
Prior to the injury, Tatum was playing at a historic level, registering a playoff high 42 points on 16-for-28 shooting. His ridiculous talent and power displayed through everything he did on the court as the Celtics raced out to a 14-point lead. The Knicks came storming back in the second half. The defeat turned out to be crucial for Boston, as the team now heads back home one game away from elimination in the series.
Take that back to when Tatum truly attempted to go make a play but ended up hurting himself. Now, he’s unable to put any weight on his right leg. After a Celtics’ timeout, Tatum was assisted to his feet and left the court under his own power. His team will do an MRI to determine the extent of the injury. This mystery would have an important impact on their potential odds of making it further in the postseason.
The Celtics were crushing Game 1 and Game 2 of the series, almost withstanding a massive Eagles lead. In each of those four matchups, they won superbly easy victories. Their inability to keep their composure early in Game 4 has tilted the momentum back toward the Knicks. Yet, here they are, the Knicks a single win from advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.
The winner-take-all Game 5 now looms on Wednesday night in Boston. The Celtics—without their best player, remember—are hell-bent on resetting, on figuring out a way to beat their bogeyman competitor.
Tim Bontemps, a senior NBA writer for ESPN.com, highlighted the implications of Tatum’s injury for both the player and the team. Bontemps, known for his insightful analysis of the league’s dynamics, can be found alongside colleagues Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon on The Hoop Collective podcast, where they discuss basketball’s impact on and off the court.
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