May 12, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts on the court after an injury in the second half during game four of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Tatum would leave the game with an injury after this play. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Fans Split on Celtics Winning Without Jayson Tatum

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Ryan Stano | Last updated May 14, 2025 9:23 PM ET

The Boston Celtics are going to have to figure out a way to win games without Jayson Tatum. After tearing his Achilles in Game 4, the Celtics are trying to stay alive in the playoffs.

Coming back from a 3-1 deficit without their best player is going to be tough. Doing so would mean Boston would win three straight games without Tatum in the lineup.

Game 5 in Boston is Wednesday night, so the home crowd should help the team. They need any boost that they can get without their best player available.

It seems that Celtics fans aren't sure if the team is able to step up and win without him. In a recent poll by Boston.com, fans seem split on the Celtics' chances in the rest of this series.

According to the poll, 57 percent of respondents think that the team is "doomed to fail" in this series against the Knicks, while only 31 percent think that they will come back. 11 percent responded "I don't know".

It's not surprising to see fans not believing that the team has what it takes to perform a massive comeback in this series. The Knicks are a really good team.

Beating New York with a healthy Tatum and coming back from a 3-1 deficit was going to be tough anyway. Now that he is out for the rest of the playoffs, it's borderline impossible to do.

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The Celtics have no more margin for error if they are going to come back. If they want to face the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year, they have to win every game left against the Knicks.

Next season looks like it's going to be rough, too. Tatum is likely going to miss the entire season because of his injury, and the roster is likely going to look a lot different.

What looked like a promising season has now turned sour for Celtics fans. The dream of becoming the first team to repeat as champions in almost a decade is one game away from being dashed.

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This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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