Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum left Monday’s Game 3 against the New York Knicks in the fourth quarter with what appeared to be a foot or ankle injury. He was assisted off the court by trainers and taken through the Madison Square Garden tables in a wheelchair.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla offered a slight update on Tatum, telling reporters it was a “lower body injury” and that he would get an MRI on Tuesday.
“It’s tough to see a guy like him get carried off,” he added.
Many watching along immediately sent their thoughts to the NBA superstar:
Tatum, 27, missed the first playoff game of his career in the first round of the 2024-25 Eastern Conference Playoffs, sitting out Game 2 against the Orlando Magic with a bone bruise in his right wrist. He suffered the injury after a midair collision with Orlando’s Wendell Carter Jr. and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.
Without him in action, the Celtics still beat the Magic, 109-100, behind Jaylen Brown’s 36 points and 10 rebounds. He returned for Game 2.
The Celtics obviously don’t want to be without Tatum for long. The three-time All-NBA selection, five-time All-Star and one-time champion led the Celtics in scoring with 26.8 points per game, adding 8.7 rebounds and six assists per game while shooting 34.3 percent from three.
He remains Boston’s top player, even if it was Brown who was both the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP last season as the Celtics won a title. The Celtics are at a major disadvantage without him.