Boston Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum underwent surgery on Tuesday afternoon to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. The injury occurred late in the fourth quarter of Monday`s Game 4 loss against the New York Knicks.
The team confirmed that the surgery was successful but stated that no specific timeline for his return has been established yet.
Before the injury, Tatum was having an outstanding playoff performance, scoring 42 points on 16-for-28 shooting. He collapsed in apparent pain with three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on Monday night.
History of Achilles Injuries in NBA
| Player | Age Injured | Age Returned |
|---|---|---|
| Jayson Tatum | 27 | ? |
| Kevin Durant | 30 | 32 |
| DeMarcus Cousins | 27 | 28 |
| Rudy Gay | 30 | 31 |
| Wesley Matthews | 28 | 29 |
| Kobe Bryant | 34 | 35 |
| Chauncey Billups | 35 | 36 |
| Elton Brand | 28 | 29 |
| LaPhonso Ellis | 26 | 27 |
| Dominique Wilkins | 32 | 32 |
He needed assistance to get to his feet and was helped off the court, unable to put any weight on his foot. Despite the defending champions being pushed to the brink of elimination with the loss, post-game discussions primarily focused on Tatum`s condition.
“I mean, at this point, I`m concerned about Jayson,” Celtics center Al Horford commented in the locker room after the game. “That`s the most important to me. The game stuff, we`ll address it. But I`m just hoping that he`s OK.”
Since being drafted third by Boston in 2017, Tatum has been a remarkably durable and successful player in the league. He is expected to receive his fourth consecutive All-NBA first team selection, a distinction shared by only 43 players in league history. He turned 27 in March.
His 42-point game marked the fifth time in his career he reached at least 40 points in a postseason game, equaling Celtics legends Larry Bird and John Havlicek for the franchise record.
Tatum led the team in points, rebounds, and assists during their successful run to the franchise`s 18th NBA championship last season. He has played in more games than any other player since his draft class, in addition to earning gold medals with Team USA at the Tokyo and Paris Olympics.
He also ranks second only to LeBron James in total playoff points scored before the age of 28.
His availability for the remainder of this postseason and potentially the start of next season is now uncertain. This represents a significant setback for the Celtics, who were aiming for a fourth consecutive trip to the Eastern Conference finals, their fifth in six years, and sixth in eight years since Tatum joined the team.
The Celtics must now find a way to recover from the devastating loss of their key player and leader for the rest of the playoffs, compounded by letting their third double-digit lead slip away in this series. Boston held advantages of at least 20 points in their Game 1 and 2 home losses, and a 14-point lead in Monday`s game before it vanished.
“These things happen,” Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis said after Monday`s loss. “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.”
