Jayson Tatum has ruptured Achilles in worst-case scenario for Celtics star originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Boston Celtics were bracing for bad news Monday night, and they got it Tuesday.
Jayson Tatum has a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. Tatum underwent “successful” surgery Tuesday after undergoing an MRI earlier in the day in New York and is “expected to make a full recovery,” per the Celtics.
Boston didn’t give a timetable for Tatum’s return, but it’s very likely the injury causes him to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season; according to ESPN’s Stephania Bell, NBA athletes average about 10 months of recovery time after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Celtics star suffered the injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden when he dove for a loose ball. Tatum fell awkwardly without making contact with Knicks wing OG Anunoby and had to be carried off the court before being transported through the halls of MSG in a wheelchair.
“The fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “… It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
Tatum’s injury is devastating in the short term for a Boston team that trails the Knicks 3-1 in their second-round series and will need to win three games in a row without its star player to avoid an early playoff exit.
The All-Star forward was brilliant in Game 4 prior to his injury — he became the first player in NBA history to record at least 42 points, seven made 3-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in a playoff game — and his absence likely is a death knell to Boston’s playoff hopes.
But the bigger concern is in the long term, as the Celtics are deep in the luxury tax and already were facing some difficult roster decisions this offseason prior to Tatum’s injury. The Celtics already have committed to $228 million in contracts for next season, and if they want to avoid stiff penalties for being in the second apron of the luxury tax, they’ll need to shake up their core.
Now that Tatum is expected to miss a large part of the 2025-26 campaign, it’s possible that shake-up takes a different form, as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and new majority owner Bill Chisholm try to chart a new path forward.
Boston will aim to keep its season alive Wednesday in Game 5 at TD Garden with tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.
Jayson Tatum has ruptured Achilles in worst-case scenario for Celtics star
The All-Star forward underwent surgery earlier Tuesday.
The Boston Celtics were bracing for bad news Monday night, and they got it Tuesday.
Jayson Tatum has a ruptured right Achilles tendon, the team announced Tuesday afternoon. Tatum underwent “successful” surgery Tuesday after undergoing an MRI earlier in the day in New York and is “expected to make a full recovery,” per the Celtics.
Boston didn’t give a timetable for Tatum’s return, but it’s very likely the injury causes him to miss most if not all of the 2025-26 season; according to ESPN’s Stephania Bell, NBA athletes average about 10 months of recovery time after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon.
SIGN UP HERE The Celtics star suffered the injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden when he dove for a loose ball. Tatum fell awkwardly without making contact with Knicks wing OG Anunoby and had to be carried off the court before being transported through the halls of MSG in a wheelchair.
“The fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “… It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”
Tatum’s injury is devastating in the short term for a Boston team that trails the Knicks 3-1 in their second-round series and will need to win three games in a row without its star player to avoid an early playoff exit.
NBA
The All-Star forward was brilliant in Game 4 prior to his injury — he became the first player in NBA history to record at least 42 points, seven made 3-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in a playoff game — and his absence likely is a death knell to Boston’s playoff hopes.
But the bigger concern is in the long term, as the Celtics are deep in the luxury tax and already were facing some difficult roster decisions this offseason prior to Tatum’s injury. The Celtics already have committed to $228 million in contracts for next season, and if they want to avoid stiff penalties for being in the second apron of the luxury tax, they’ll need to shake up their core.
Now that Tatum is expected to miss a large part of the 2025-26 campaign, it’s possible that shake-up takes a different form, as president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and new majority owner Bill Chisholm try to chart a new path forward.
Boston will aim to keep its season alive Wednesday in Game 5 at TD Garden with tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET.
