To be fair, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum still needs an MRI. He still needs to go through the rigmarole of injury assessment and, who know, after a days of rest, Tatum could wake up feeling considerably better on Tuesday morning.
Still, after Boston suffered a loss to the Knicks in Madison Square in Garden 4 of their conference semifinal series, the Celtics now trail, 3-1, in the series. And while there might be optimists going to bed hopeful that it's an ankle sprain and that Tatum can bounce back quickly, the reality of the injury is probably much different.
Tatum suffered a scary injury to the lower leg, at the end of a brilliant game (42 points, 16-for-28 shooting). He was seen hitting the floor for a loose ball, with just over three minutes to play, and writhing in pain immediately after.
No one's sure what it is. The hope, at this point, is that the injury is a bad ankle sprain and not something worse--most notably an Achilles tendon tear, which would likely cost Tatum a whole season.
But one doctor who frequently comments online about major sports injury, Dr. Jesse Morse, said that the Achilles should very much be on the minds of Celtics fans. That would not only wipe out Tatum's remaining playoff run, but it would likely put him out for all of next season.
Dr. Morse seems to think that the intense reaction from Tatum, as well as video of the incident, indicates that the injury is an Achilles tendon tear. He wrote on Twitter/X:
"My concern is a torn right Achilles tendon for Jayson Tatum. Pushed off, leg gave out, immediately grabbed, writhing in pain. Couldn’t bear any weight on it and needed to be wheelchaired off. Other injuries (ankle sprain, fracture) are possible but unlikely. SMH."
Again, the MRI will give doctors the final say. But Morse, whose bio says he is, "a board-certified Family and Sports Medicine physician with over a decade of experience specializing in non-surgical orthopedics and regenerative medicine," seems to think we have more on our hands with Tatum's injury than a minor ankle twist.
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