The worst-case scenario appears to be confirmed following Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum’s injury in Game 4 of the team’s second-round playoff series on Monday night.
Per ESPN’s Shams Charania, Tatum suffered a torn right Achilles tendon and has already undergone surgery to repair the injury.
Tatum went down with a non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s loss to the New York Knicks. The 27-year-old quickly changed momentum to pursue a loose ball, then fell to the floor. He was assisted off the court by Celtics staffers and left the game in a wheelchair.
At the time he exited the game, Tatum had put up his best performance of the playoffs so far with 42 points on 16-for-28 shooting from the field, including seven three-pointers. He’d also notched eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks in his 40 minutes of play.
The news deals an absolutely massive blow to the Celtics organization. While hopes of back-to-back NBA titles began to wilt after going down 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Tatum’s injury has lingering effects far beyond this postseason run.
The four-time All-NBA forward will have all summer to rehab his Achilles, but historic precedent indicates he’ll likely miss a significant chunk of next season — if not the entire 2025-2026 campaign. At this time, the team has not currently provided an official timetable for Tatum’s recovery.
