If the Boston Celtics are to hit back from a 3-1 deficit against the New York Knicks and maintain hope of defending their NBA crown, they will have to do it without star man Jayson Tatum.
Tatum had to be carried off the court at Madison Square Garden after suffering a non-contact injury seemingly around his lower calf/Achilles area.
The 27-year-old was in obvious pain after crumpling to the floor late in the fourth quarter and will now undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the problem.
Prior to that, Tatum had delivered an outstanding performance with 42 points even though the Celtics again fell short, losing 121-113 to fall within one defeat of elimination.
Jayson Tatum was emotional after his injury 💔
Hope he’s okay 🙏 pic.twitter.com/kZvZByjeVn
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 13, 2025
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Porzingis admits it’s ‘tough’
The incident added to what was a miserable night for Boston, who will hope to keep the series alive in Game 5 tomorrow night.
“These things happen,” center Kristaps Porzingis said. “Obviously, we all felt for him in that moment, but we just have to keep going, we have to keep playing. Obviously, we all realized in our heads what this could mean, but again, this is part of the sport, it’s tough, and it’s hard to see and hard to accept the truth.
“But it is what it is, and we have to go forward with what we have now.”
There was sympathy amid the jubilation from the Knicks as well with Karl-Anthony Towns, who suffered a serious calf injury two years ago, saying: “I’ve been in a situation like that with my calf [before].
“So I just walked up, respectful of his space, and just prayed to my mother, prayed to God, to put protection over him, comfort. Whatever he needs to go through, I hope it’s a quick, painless process. I’m hoping we can see him back here soon, with the superstar talent he is, playing at the highest level.”
Brunson plays down big win and insists the job is not done
The injury cast a cloud over a night that could prove significant as the Knicks hit back from another double-digit deficit to claim a potentially vital victory.
They are now within touching distance of a first conference finals appearance in 25 years after responding superbly to Saturday’s Game 3 defeat.
Jalen Brunson scored 39 points and added 12 assists but was visibly eager for his team-mates not to over-celebrate in acknowledgement that the job is not yet done.
“I was actually telling everyone to get off the court. I was like, it’s nothing to celebrate,” he said.
“I think [tonight] was a sense of urgency, desperation. Knowing that we had a great opportunity against a really good team. I don’t even think we’re playing our best basketball yet. We have a team that’s still fairly new this year, and we have a long way to go be the best team we can be. There’s always time to learn for us. We’re never satisfied, and that’s the mentality.”
