NBA fans hope Jayson Tatum didn’t suffer a significant injury on Monday night.
With roughly three minutes remaining in a Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks, Tatum went down with an apparent leg injury while reaching for a loose ball. The Boston Celtics star grimaced in pain on the floor before getting helped off the court.
ESPN’s broadcast showed Tatum getting carried to the locker room in a wheelchair. Seemingly overcome by emotion, he covered his head with his hands.
Tatum’s peers and fans sent him well-wishes while awaiting an official diagnosis.
“🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 Big Deuce,” LeBron James wrote on social media.
“Hoping for the best for JT,” a fan said.
“Hard to watch,” a fan wrote. “Hope he’s OK.”
“You hate to see this,” a fan wrote. “Prayers up for Tatum, man.”
“Sending all good thoughts and positive vibes to the great @jaytatum0,” actor and Knicks fan Ben Stiller wrote.
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Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game that Tatum will undergo an MRI on Tuesday.
“We’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is,” Mazzulla told reporters, per CLNS Media. “It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
Al Horford called Tatum’s injury “very concerning” after the game.
“The loss is the loss,” Horford said. “More importantly, it’s Jayson that I’m worried about.”
Tatum had tallied 42 points, eight rebounds, and four steals in 40 minutes before the injury. The six-time All-Star is averaging 28.1 points through eight games this postseason.
However, the Celtics trail 3-1 to the Knicks following Monday night’s 121-113 loss at Madison Square Garden. They must win three straight games to extend their title defense, potentially without their star player.
Hopefully Tatum can avoid the worst-case scenario, but the Celtics probably should prepare to play an elimination Game 5 without him. They’ll look to stay alive Wednesday night in a game starting at 7 p.m. ET on TNT.
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