Brian Windhorst drops crushing intel on Celtics Game 4 locker room

The injury cast serious doubt on Tatum’s status for the remainder of the Eastern Conference semifinals—where Boston now trails 3-1—and could jeopardize his entire 2025-26 campaign if Tuesday’s MRI confirms the feared outcome: a torn Achilles tendon.

Before the injury, Tatum delivered one of his finest postseason outings in a Celtics uniform, piling up 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks in 40 minutes. He matched Larry Bird and John Havlicek with five career 40-point playoff games—despite logging 43 fewer playoff appearances than Bird and 51 fewer than Havlicek.

Yet once again, Boston squandered a double-digit lead in the third quarter—this time a 14-point cushion early in the second half—and Tatum’s night ended in agony after he hit the floor chasing a loose ball that had been knocked away from Jaylen Brown.

The Celtics choked against the Knicks once again

Tatum’s injury added to an already mounting list of health concerns for the Celtics — Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, and Sam Hauser have all dealt with injuries or limited availability during the postseason, and Tatum himself sat out a first-round game due to a wrist bone bruise. But this setback looms largest of all, unless the upcoming MRI brings unexpectedly good news.

One of the highest paid NBA players, Tatum is on track to receive his fourth consecutive All-NBA First Team honor later this month. Even with early struggles in the series against New York, he still tops the Celtics in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals during the playoffs. Since joining the league in 2016, Tatum has suited up for 121 of 122 possible postseason games, logging an average of 39 minutes per game.

Even with a healthy roster, the Celtics would be facing steep odds to recover from a 3-1 series deficit. Historically, only 13 of 293 teams have pulled off that kind of comeback — a success rate of just 4.4% — and no team has done it in the past five years. Now, with Jayson Tatum’s injury casting a shadow over the rest of the series, Boston’s hopes of repeating as champions have all but vanished. At this point, the priority may shift from salvaging this playoff run to ensuring their franchise cornerstone is ready for next season.

The Celtics now face the urgent task of regrouping both strategically and emotionally after Tatum’s injury, as they look to stave off elimination Wednesday night in front of their home crowd.