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Jaylen Brown, Celtics Stars React to Jayson Tatum's Leg Injury in Game 4 Loss

Tatum's Celtics teammates are worried about the severity of his injury.

Madison Williams

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum with a member of the medical staff on the court after an injury.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum with a member of the medical staff on the court after an injury. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
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The Boston Celtics suffered a tough Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but the biggest loss of the night may have come when Jayson Tatum injured his leg during the fourth quarter.

Tatum had to be helped to the locker room, and he was later seen in a wheelchair. He will undergo an MRI on Tuesday to learn more about the severity of his injury, but it's not looking good for Tatum and the Celtics as they head into Wednesday's Game 5 down 3–1 to the Knicks.

Tatum's Celtics teammates were left short on words after Game 4 while they dealt with the possibility of losing Tatum for the rest of the series on top of knowing they need to win on Wednesday in order to stay alive in the postseason.

Jaylen Brown, the reigning NBA Finals MVP, described the Celtics' reaction perfectly.

“It’s tough. There’s not really a lot to say,” Brown said, via The Athletic's Jay King. “Tonight is tough. I think everybody’s at a loss for words because of not just losing the game, but obviously the concern for JT.”

Al Horford reiterated Brown's concern for Tatum in his postgame comments.

“The loss is the loss. More importantly, it’s Jayson I’m worried about,” Horford said. "Just making sure that I'm there for him, and that's my priority."

Derrick White emphasized the emotions the Celtics feel for Tatum, while also acknowledging that the Celtics will need to adjust their game plan to win on Wednesday.

“I mean honestly that's our brother. You hate to see him go down," White said. "... We just gotta find a way to win Game 5."

More will come out about Tatum's injury on Tuesday, and the Celtics will plan accordingly after that newsdrops. Regardless, Tatum's teammates will be there to support him one way or another.

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Madison Williams
MADISON WILLIAMS

Madison Williams is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated, where she specializes in tennis but covers a wide range of sports from a national perspective. Before joining SI in 2022, Williams worked at The Sporting News. Having graduated from Augustana College, she completed a master’s in sports media at Northwestern University. She is a dog mom and an avid reader.

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