The Boston Celtics announced that following game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinal against the New York Knicks, All-Star forward Jayson Tatum did indeed rupture his right Achilles tendon and underwent successful surgery today to repair it. 

A massive blow for the Celtics, who are now down 3-1 in their quest to repeat as NBA Champions, just got harder. Tatum had his best game in the 2025 playoffs last night, scoring 42 points, collecting eight rebounds, and shooting 7-for-16 from 3-point territory. 

Since entering the league in 2017, Tatum has played in the most regular and postseason games of anyone in that stretch, 706 games. He has been the catalyst for the Celtics since being drafted and has helped guide Boston to a playoff run in each of his first eight NBA seasons. 

In that time frame, the Celtics have won 15 playoff series, including an NBA title in 2024, and have made the conference finals in six of the last eight seasons. 

This is the first significant injury of Tatum’s career, and with a long road of recovery ahead, there is no timetable for the 27-year-olds return.

So far this season, the Celtics are 8-2 when playing without Tatum, and in the past two seasons are 16-3 without the star forward, including a 1-0 record in playoff games without him in the lineup. Game 6 is Wednesday back in Boston with the Celtics facing elimination.