Jayson Tatum Injury Report: Latest Update & Expected Recovery Time

In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the New York Knicks, Jayson Tatum went down with a serious injury. Though a non-contact one, Tatum picked a lower leg injury and had to be carried off the floor while putting no weight on his right leg.

Despite leading the game in double digits, the Boston Celtics lost after the Knicks stormed back with 39 points from Jalen Brunson, 23 from Mikal Bridges, and 20 from OG Anunoby. The Knicks won the game with a 121-113 score line and seem like the favorites to reach the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Tatum was seen suffering in agony on the court, before calling his own timeout and grabbing his ankle with 2:58 remaining on the fourth quarter He was then escorted off the floor, with his right leg kept above and was seen being pushed to the locker room on a wheelchair. Let's find out what has happened to Jayson Tatum in this latest injury report.

Jayson Tatum Injury Report

Jayson Tatum's injury report states a serious injury for the Celtics forward from non-contact. As per ESPN, the injury occurred while Tatum was trying to grab a loose ball, which ended up in him collapsing and picking this injury.

Though he appeared to be in visible agony, Tatum remained down for several moments, until he was escorted off the floor on a wheel chair. He is unable to put any weight on his right foot.

The exact nature of the injury is still unknown as MRI scan results are still awaited. However, from the looks of it, seems like Tatum must have indeed picked a serious injury, jeopardizing the Celtics' title contention dreams.

Expected Recovery Time

There is no official confirmation on Jayson Tatum's return or recovery time yet. The Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla did not have any update on Jayson Tatum's status during the postgame presser. However, he said Tatum will undergo surgery on Tuesday.

Impact of Jayson Tatum Injury on the Boston Celtics

In Game 4 against the Celtics, Tatum was displaying one of his best postseason performances. In 39 minutes, he shot 57.1% from the field, 43.8% from beyond the arc and a perfect 3/3 from the FT line.

Besides finishing the night with 42 points, Tatum had 8 defensive rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks. However, despite Tatum's offensive prowess, the Celtics lacked in defense. The Knicks displayed relentless pace, forcing three turnovers and four personal fouls from Tatum. Though Tatum gave his all, this injury may now overshadow his contributions in what would be a do-or-die situation in Game 5 of this series.

Possible Replacement

Earlier, when Jayson Tatum was injured in the first round of the postseason, Al Horford and Payton Pritchard alternatively replaced Jayson Tatum on the floor. Though they could win games against the Orlando Magic even without Tatum, winning against the Knicks team could be hard.

The Knicks have shown brilliant chemistry so far, outpacing the Celtics by all margins. However, it seems like the series is too far beyond for the Cs to clinch back, with this Tatum injury coming at the worst time period possible.