Boston Celtics fans were left fearing the worst for superstar Jayson Tatum after he was taken off in a wheelchair after suffering a non-contact injury against the Knicks.
Tatum wasn’t touched as he reached for the ball in the fourth quarter, immediately falling to the floor and clutching his right ankle.
Trainers rushed onto the court to attend to the Celtics’ star man during Game 4 of the NBA‘s Eastern Conference semifinal showdown, as he thrashed about in agony.
After a few minutes, Tatum was helped off the court, and ESPN’s TV cameras showed him being taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
In the clip, Tatum held his hands to his face and appeared to scream in agony.
On social media, an account called @GameInjuryDoc who claims to be a doctor of physical therapy, reported that the way Tatum fell to the court signaled a potential Achilles tear.
Jayson Tatum screams in pain after suffering a non-contact injury at Madison Square Garden
Tatum is carried off the court by trainers and the team is fearing the worst for its best player
He screamed in pain as he was wheeled back to the locker room by the Celtics’ medics
The Celtics are 3-1 down in the best-of-seven series as it heads back to Boston, but there are now serious concerns that Tatum’s season is over.
In the game itself on Monday night, the Knicks sealed an impressive 121-113 win to put themselves in the driving seat ahead of Game 5.
The Knicks are now one game away from getting back to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
Tatum, 27, had been in the middle of one of his best career games, scoring 42 points with eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks.
Before his injury, Tatum had been enjoying one of the biggest playoff games of his career
The six-time NBA All-Star rested his head on the trainer’s arm as they helped him on court
He was 16/28 from the field and 7/16 from three-point range in 40 minutes on the court.
The Athletic reported that his ankle was ‘completely mobilized’ by trainers as he was taken to the locker room, and it is expected that he will undergo scans in an immediate bid to diagnose the issue.
Taking to social media, Skip Bayless wrote: ‘Jayson Tatum had played one of his best playoff games ever – 42 points. And out of nowhere THAT happened. So unfair. God bless him in his recovery.’
Meanwhile, tennis icon Nick Kyrgios tweeted: ‘Anyone who is celebrating Tatum’s injury, or any athletes for that matter, you are the scum of the earth.’
Celtics diehard Dave Portnoy was also quick to share his thoughts with a video posted online. In it, he said: ‘Tatum, I don’t even want to say it… having a Hall of Fame game, looks like he maybe ruptured his Achilles.
Tatum holds his ankle immediately after falling to the court unchallenged in the fourth quarter
Tatum was rushed off the court for further tests as the Celtics await more news on their star
‘Getting wheeled off, Paul Pierce style, crying. It’s things like this that are bigger than sports, I don’t even know who won and lost, I stopped watching.
‘I only care about Tatum and his health, he’s given this city so much. That was a great game, marred by that injury. I don’t care if you’re a Knicks fan, a Celtics fan, who won and lost should be the last thing on your mind. It should only be prayers for Jayson Tatum.
‘Hopefully he’s alright. It looks like the worst has come true.’
Tatum is an NBA champion with the Celtics last season, as well as a six-time NBA All-Star and the All-Star MVP in 2023.
