Boston star Jayson Tatum sustained a right foot or ankle injury on a noncontact play late in the Celtics’ Game 4 loss to the host New York Knicks on Monday night, and he will undergo an MRI exam Tuesday.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said after the Knicks took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinal series that Tatum had a “lower-body injury.” Mazzulla added, “He’s going to get an MRI tomorrow. He’s with the doctors now.”
Asked it he knew whether Tatum hurt his ankle or his Achilles tendon, Mazzulla replied, “We’ll get the MRI tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”
Tatum was hurt when teammate Jaylen Brown fumbled the ball and Tatum made an attempt toward it. OG Anunoby finished the play with a dunk to give New York a nine-point lead en route to a 121-113 win in the Eastern Conference semifinal contest.
Tatum was in agony on the court and called his own timeout before grabbing at his ankle with 2:58 remaining. He was helped off the floor with his right foot kept above the ground and was later seen being pushed to the locker room on a wheelchair.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said, “I never want to see a player get hurt. He’s been a great player and he’s a great guy, too, so I hope it’s not a serious injury.”
Tatum had racked up 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in the game. He knocked down seven 3-pointers.
The Knicks will try to close out the best-of-seven series in Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston.
–Field Level Media
