NBA fans saw Jayson Tatum walk off the court late in the fourth quarter of Game 4 between the Knicks and Celtics, and fear the worst has happened.
The New York Knicks vanquished the Boston Celtics in a thrilling Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. However, the headline came a few minutes before the buzzer.
Late in the fourth quarter, Jayson Tatum seemed to take a hard fall to the floor and began to clutch his leg. He was helped to the locker room and was seen sitting in a wheelchair.
Several members of the Celtics’ medical staff walked Tatum back and looked very concerned that he had sustained a severe injury.
They aren’t the only ones worried, as several NBA fans believe Jayson Tatum’s playoff run is over, and this injury could be a very long one.
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Several fans took to X to react to Jayson Tatum’s injury. One fan wrote, “Non-contact injuries are always bad news.”
Another fan wondered, “We’ve all been watching ball long enough to know what that was.”
While one fan outright came out with a diagnosis, writing, “Achilles gone, man. You hate to see it.”
However, another fan was hopeful the injury wasn’t severe, writing, “He looks like he’s not coming back. Hopefully, that’s not the case.”
Some fans were ready to call the series a wrap. One fan even wrote, “Damn sucks to see. Hopefully, it isn’t too serious, but definitely didn’t look good. Congrats to the Knicks on the series win.”
Another fan echoed those sentiments, noting, “Yeah, it’s over with for Boston.”
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If what the fans are prognosticating is correct, then the Celtics cannot rely on Jayson Tatum. An Achilles tear is one of the worst injuries in basketball, and takes nearly a year to recover from.
As such, the Celtics will need to try and overcome a 3-1 deficit without one of their best players. Given that the Knicks have looked hungrier than the Celtics this series, that might be difficult.
But they still have enough talent on their roster without Tatum to achieve this. The reigning Finals MVP, Jaylen Brown, will have to step up and deliver at a high level for the Celtics.
Players like Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Derrick White will also have to take on a bigger role in the coming week. But it might be for nothing, as the Celtics could lose their next game and have their series end.
