Jayson Tatum injury update: Awful news emerges on Celtics star

Jayson Tatum has suffered a torn right Achilles and has already had successful surgery to repair the injury, per ESPN’s Sham Charania. The news comes after the Boston Celtics star appeared to suffer a non-contact injury against the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

Although news was sparse in the morning, by the early afternoon, it was learned that the Celtics were ‘bracing for the worst’ and that those fears have now been realized. According to Charania, there’s no timetable on Tatum’s recovery.

After attempting to dive for a loose ball, Tatum immediately grabbed his right ankle as medical personnel tended to him. The Celtics guard could not put any weight on his leg while being carried off to the locker room. The ESPN broadcast later showed Tatum sitting in a wheelchair in the tunnel.

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla provided an initial injury update after the game during his press conference. He said that Tatum suffered a “lower-body injury.” He noted that the doctors were still working on him at that moment.

While the Celtics were trailing the Knicks at the time of the injury, Tatum was in the midst of an MVP-caliber performance in an attempt to even the series. He scored 42 points on 16 of 28 shooting (7 of 16 3PT) to go along with eight rebounds and four assists in 40 minutes on the floor.

Boston eventually lost the game 121-113. They now trail the Knicks 3-1 in the series, and face elimination as they head back to Boston for Game 5.

It was Tatum’s first 40-point game of the postseason. Though, he scored at least 35 points in three of the four games he appeared in against the Orlando Magic in the first round. He hadn’t found the same success during the series against the Knicks before Monday night, averaging 19.3 points per game during the first three matchups.

During the regular season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points per game (fifth most in the NBA), to go along with 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game. These numbers were slightly down from the two previous seasons but still regarded as one of the top-scoring threats in the association.

Of course, Tatum is coming off an NBA Championship-winning season with the Boston Celtics last season. During the postseason, the Celtics were never pushed to a Game 6 and compiled a 16-3 record as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks 4-1 to secure Boston’s first championship since 2008, and second since 1986.

Now, the Celtics will have to find a way to claw their way back into the series without Tatum’s services. Tip-off for Game 5 is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET live on TNT and Max.