Celtics news: Joe Mazzulla breaks silence on severe Jayson Tatum injury

Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum did all he could to put his team in a position to win Game 4 on Monday night versus the New York Knicks. Unfortunately, his 42-point performance would have a heartbreaking end, as the reigning NBA champion had to be helped off the court late in the fourth quarter with a lower leg injury.

When Tatum exited the contest with 2:58 remaining, the C's trailed 113-104 and were on the brink of falling apart. Tatum's untimely injury sealed the 121-113 win for the Knicks, putting the Celtics in a 3-1 series hole.

Although Boston is just one loss from elimination, Tatum's status has felt like the more dire situation. There's no official word on his injury designation, yet Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed he sustained a lower-body injury and will undergo an MRI on Tuesday, per Jay King of The Athletic.

Here's a look at where Jayson Tatum appeared to suffer the ankle/foot injury.

Prayers up for JT 🙏🏽pic.twitter.com/FyANRc4nXH https://t.co/hCEI4TY0hH

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 13, 2025

Before Tatum was forced to leave the game, he was putting on a show at Madison Square Garden. The six-time All-Star finished with 42 points — the most he's scored in the playoffs since Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals — while shooting a blistering 57% from the floor. He led his squad in points, rebounds, steals, blocks, and tied veteran Celtics center Al Horford for the most assists on the night with four.

Jayson Tatum went back to the Celtics locker room in a wheelchair. https://t.co/hCEI4TY0hH pic.twitter.com/fvzvFXRX1R

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 13, 2025

How did the Celtics drop Game 4 vs. the Knicks?

This herculean effort wasn't enough for Boston, as New York shot 54% from the field in what was easily its best offensive showing of the second-round series. The Knicks had four starters score at least 20 points and dropped a whopping 70 points in the second half.

Ultimately, the Knicks' shot-making and tough offensive rebounding proved to be too much for the C's. Despite the fact that Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis isn't fully healthy and sharp-shooter Sam Hauser missed his third straight game on Monday, the defending champs led by as many as 14 points in the third quarter.

New York's 37-point third quarter, its highest-scoring period of the series, leveled the score and swung the momentum in favor of the home team. From there, Boston couldn't muster enough scoring without Tatum.

Even though he played in just seven minutes of the final frame, Tatum accounted for 11 of the Celtics' 28 points and four of their nine made field goals in the fourth quarter. No other Celtic made more than two field goals down the stretch.

The Celtics now face the daunting task of overcoming a 3-1 series deficit, something they haven't accomplished since 1981. Storming back against the Knicks will be tough, especially since Tatum might not be good to go for Game 5 on Wednesday evening. Prior to the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the 27-year-old had remarkably never missed a postseason outing in his eight-year career, which has featured eight consecutive playoff appearances.