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[Saba Sports News] Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum suffered a frightening non-contact injury late in Monday night’s playoff clash against the New York Knicks.
With just over three minutes remaining in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Madison Square Garden, the Celtics trailed 111-104. Tatum attempted to pass to Jaylen Brown, but Knicks forward Mikal Bridges deflected the ball. As Tatum dove to recover it, he appeared to injure his right leg.
Tatum was visibly in pain on the court while OG Anunoby took the loose ball for a wide-open dunk. Boston immediately called its final timeout to help their injured star off the floor.
Unable to put weight on the leg, Tatum was carried off and later wheeled to the locker room. The non-contact nature of the injury has sparked fears that the six-time All-Star may have suffered a torn Achilles.
Tatum had put up a dominant performance before going down, finishing with 42 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. But his efforts weren’t enough, as the Knicks closed out a 121-113 win to take a 3-1 series lead.
In his eight-year career, Tatum has largely avoided major injuries. He’s never missed more than 18 games in a season and has played at least 72 games in each of the last four years.