Jayson Tatum has been quite the iron man for the Celtics. He hardly ever misses games and has typically shown his resilience even when it’s looked like he hurt something.
That’s what made it all the more surprising when he was writhing in pain during the Celtics game that forced him to exit it early.
Jayson Tatum Left Celtics Game vs. the Kings After Apparent Ankle Injury
During the third quarter of the Celtics-Kings matchup, Tatum made a three-pointer and got a foul call on Domantas Sabonis, but Tatum fell to the ground in that same motion in significant pain from what appeared to be an ankle injury.
Jayson Tatum's ankle injury pic.twitter.com/KyBJdZl2XE
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo)
Sabonis did not do anything dirty on the play, but because he was in Tatum’s landing space, the referees had to review it. After the foul was deemed a Flagrant-1, Tatum remained in the game to shoot free throws. Once he shot both of them, Tatum went to the locker room. The Celtics then reported via their official X account that he was doubtful to return.
Celtics Injury Report Update vs. Sacramento:
Jayson Tatum – Left Ankle Sprain – DOUBTFUL TO RETURN
— Boston Celtics (@celtics)
Tatum did not return to the game, and the Celtics managed to win without him.
The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach reported that Tatum was not made available for interviews but was seen eating at his locker and talking with his teammates. Most notably, Tatum had two sneakers on, indicating that he was not wearing a boot.
Jayson Tatum isn’t being made available for interviews.
He’s at his locker eating and joking with teammates and wearing sneakers on both feet though.— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach)
There’s no telling what the extent of Tatum’s injury is. Ankle sprains can keep a player out for several weeks while it can also make them day-to-day. Further imaging will determine how bad the injury is in Tatum’s case.
It is an encouraging sign for the Celtics that Tatum was not wearing a boot or using crutches after suffering an ankle injury but never say never until something is official.
The Celtics will pay close attention to Tatum’s injury as the season winds down. With less than a month until the playoffs start, Boston will need every player healthy to have a chance at repeating as champions. That, of course, starts with Tatum.
Again, Tatum has not been one to miss that many games, even when he has suffered an injury every here and there. Tatum getting hurt at this exact time is terrible timing for him and the Celtics, but if it turns out to be nothing serious, then there’s nothing to worry about regarding availability. However, playing with a bad ankle could affect Tatum’s abilities on the court.
