In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, the Boston Celtics fell into a 3-1 series deficit after blowing another double-digit lead.
But that was the least of the Celtics' concerns as All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum went down with a non-contact ankle injury, forcing him to leave. A day later, he was diagnosed with a ruptured Achilles, ending his playoffs and putting next season in jeopardy.
But Boston was able to keep their season alive with a 127-102 Game 5 win despite missing Tatum, thanks to the play of Jaylen Brown, Luke Kornet and Derrick White.
Now, the Celtics will head back to New York City for a must-win Game 6. On Thursday, Boston announced its injury report, and the only player listed was Tatum, who has obviously been ruled out.
"Injury Report for tomorrow at New York: Jayson Tatum (right achilles tendon repair) - OUT."
NBA fans thought listing Tatum on the Game 6 injury report was unnecessary, already knowing he would be unavailable for the rest of the postseason. They took to social media to leave their thoughts.
"I promise you don’t have to keep tweeting this," one fan said.
"I could go without the reminders," added another.
"uhhh was this tweet necessary?" asked a third.
"I promise you don’t need to tell us," wrote a fourth.
"There is absolutely no need for this," commented a fifth.
"Come on guys, we know, let's not do this stuff every game for almost a year," posted a sixth.
Through four second-round games against the Knicks, Tatum finished averaging 25.0 points on 40% shooting, 11.8 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game. He had scored a playoff-high 42 points in Game 4 before his injury.
The Celtics will be back in action on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET, facing the Knicks in Game 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
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