Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was forced to exit Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the New York Knicks with just over three minutes to go in the fourth quarter with an apparent non-contact lower leg injury.
Read more: Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Exits Game 4 vs Knicks With Concerning Non-Contact Injury
After the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla provided an update on his superstar forward. He didn’t have much information aside from the plan for Tatum to get an MRI on Tuesday.
“No, not yet” Mazzula said when asked if he had an update on Tatum. “It was a lower body injury, gonna get an MRI tomorrow. He’s with the doctors now.”
He was then asked if it was the Achilles or the ankle, and if there was contact or not on the play that led to the injury.
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“I have no idea,” Mazzulla said. “I got back there, talked to the medical staff and they told me it’s a lower body injury and we’ll get an MRI tomorrow.
“We’ll see where it goes from there.”
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The Celtics, who had a double-digit lead in the third quarter, collapsed yet again late in the game. They ended up losing to the Knicks, 121-113, and are now one game away from being eliminated from the 2025 postseason.
After struggling in the first three games of the series — averaging just 19.3 points per game on 32.3 percent shooting from the field — Tatum came alive in Game 4, scoring 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting on the field and 7-of-16 shooting from deep. He added eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.
While the Celtics will have a clearer update on Tatum’s status for Game 5 after the MRI on Tuesday, it’s difficult to imagine him being ready to play by Wednesday based on the look of the injury. Tatum was rolling around in pain and wasn’t able to put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the court. He was put in a wheelchair back in the locker room.
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The Celtics should provide an update on Tatum’s status sometime on Tuesday. If he’s unable to play, it will be up to Jaylen Brown and co. to keep the Celtics’ season and title defense hopes alive.
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