Tatum carried off in Celtics' Game 4 loss; MRI next

NEW YORK -- The reigning champion Boston Celtics find themselves 1 crippled distant from playoff elimination aft a 121-113 loss to the Knicks successful Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, a effect that enactment New York connected the cusp of its first league finals quality successful 25 years.

But the 3-1 bid shortage isn't wherefore the visitors locker country astatine Madison Square Garden was soundless for a fractional hr aft Monday's contest. It was due to the fact that of the perchance devastating quality awaiting Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum, who had to beryllium carried disconnected the tribunal precocious successful the 4th fourth aft suffering a noncontact little limb injury.

"I mean, astatine this point, I'm acrophobic astir Jayson," Celtics halfway Al Horford said. "That's the astir important to me. ... The crippled stuff, we'll code it. But I'm conscionable hoping that he's OK."

The Celtics had conscionable mislaid possession of the ball, and arsenic Tatum lunged toward it, his close limb gave retired and helium crumpled to the tribunal with 2:58 left. After Knicks guardant OG Anunoby grabbed the escaped shot and raced to the different extremity for a dunk, Tatum -- who didn't effort to get up -- signaled for a timeout and enactment a towel implicit his look successful evident symptom portion grabbing astatine his limb supra the ankle.

He yet was helped to his feet and carried disconnected the tribunal and into a wheelchair.

Celtics manager Joe Mazzulla said Tatum would acquisition an MRI connected Tuesday, but the squad didn't merchandise an authoritative connection connected Tatum's injury, and Mazzulla had nary different update.

"I'm not sure," Boston defender Jaylen Brown said erstwhile asked what Tatum's wounded could mean for the franchise moving forward. "I've got nary words close now."

For the Celtics, who entered Monday's crippled arsenic the odds-on favourite to look from the East contempt being down 2-1 aft starring each of the archetypal 3 games of the bid by astatine slightest 20 points, the situation volition beryllium uncovering a mode to regroup aft losing their champion subordinate and person for what each but surely volition beryllium astatine a minimum the remainder of this series.

Tatum had enactment unneurotic a fabulous crippled earlier the injury, scoring 42 points connected 16-for-28 shooting, and helium had been a representation of durability implicit the people of his eight-year NBA career. He had ne'er sat retired a playoff crippled earlier a wrist wounded outgo him Game 2 against the Orlando Magic successful the archetypal round. The 10 games helium missed during the regular play were the astir successful his career.

Celtics halfway Kristaps Porzingis said portion sitting astatine his locker that helium and his teammates person nary prime but to propulsion guardant and effort to marque up for Tatum's lack arsenic they effort to beforehand to the league finals for a 4th consecutive season.

"These things happen," Porzingis said. "Obviously, we each felt for him successful that moment, but we conscionable person to support going, we person to support playing. Obviously, we each realized successful our heads what this could mean, but again, this is portion of the sport, it's tough, and it's hard to spot and hard to judge the truth.

"But it is what it is, and we person to spell guardant with what we person now."

The Celtics' treble whammy of suffering a 3rd bid nonaccomplishment aft starring by treble digits -- Boston was up by 14 points earlier New York stormed backmost successful the 2nd fractional -- and Tatum's wounded near galore astir the franchise successful disbelief.

On the different side, the Knicks sent their well-wishes to Tatum, with Karl-Anthony Towns -- who had a superior calf teardrop a mates of years agone that initially looked similar a imaginable torn Achilles -- indicating helium said a supplication for the All-Star guardant to beryllium backmost connected the tribunal arsenic soon arsenic possible.

"I've been successful a concern similar that with my calf [before]," Towns said, "so I conscionable walked up, respectful of his space, and conscionable prayed to my mother, prayed to God, to enactment extortion implicit him, comfort. Whatever helium needs to spell through, I anticipation it's a quick, painless process. I'm hoping we tin spot him backmost present soon, with the superstar endowment helium is, playing astatine the highest level."

The Celtics volition beryllium hoping for the aforesaid thing, portion looking to support their play live successful Game 5 connected Wednesday nighttime successful Boston.

"Well, it's precise concerning," Horford said. "Just from the attraction that I person for him and what helium means to us, what helium means to Boston. Just precise pugnacious for us.

"More importantly, it's conscionable truly pugnacious for him close now. Let's spot what happens. Just is precise pugnacious for our radical altogether."