Jayson Tatum's Gesture to Celtics Before Game 5 Win

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated May 15, 2025 12:11 AM ET

The Boston Celtics, without their All-NBA superstar, kept their season alive on Wednesday night with a 127-102 Game 5 win over the New York Knicks.

Jayson Tatum was ruled out for the remainder of the NBA Playoffs and beyond after suffering a ruptured Achilles in the final minutes of Game 4. The former Duke standout underwent surgery the very next day (Tuesday) and will start the long recovery process.

But Tatum certainly had his eyes on the game from his hospital bed as Jaylen Brown and Derrick White took over to secure the Celtics' largest win of the series.

Following the win, White spoke during the postgame press conference, revealing that Tatum texted the entire Boston team, showing his support just a day after his surgery, per Celtics insider Marc D'Amico.

"Derrick White says that Jayson Tatum texted the team before tonight's game," D'Amico wrote on X. "White said it was cool to see that Tatum is still supporting them and cheering them on, just a day after undergoing surgery on his Achilles."

Derrick White says that Jayson Tatum texted the team before tonight's game. White said it was cool to see that Tatum is still supporting them and cheering them on, just a day after undergoing surgery on his Achilles.
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) May 15, 2025

Hours before the Game 5 win, Tatum broke his silence on the torn Achilles, making his first post on social media.

"Thankful for all the love and support ," Tatum wrote on Instagram with a photo of himself in the hospital after the surgery..

With Tatum out, Brown was able to take over as the No. 1 option, recording 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists. White was dominant from beyond the arc, hitting seven 3-pointers on his way to 34 points. Even Luke Kornet made a big impact with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks.

The Celtics, now trailing the Knicks 3-2 in the second-round series, will look to continue their back-to-back championship hopes in Game 6 on Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET at Madison Square Garden.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: