Alarm bells for Boston as ankle injury forces Tatum off court. How long will the forward be out for?
The Celtics overpowered Sacramento with a 95-113 win at the Golden 1 Centre but lost key player Tatum in the third quarter.
Boston Celtics star player Jayson Tatum was an instrumental figure as he helped his team to 25 points as part of their 95-113 away win to Sacramento Kings on Monday evening.
The Kings came into the contest looking to avoid a three-game home losing streak but were always playing catch-up to Boston with the current NBA champions consolidating their second place in the Eastern conference (59-19).
The major talking point however concerned Jayson Tatum. During the game, the 27-year-old also had seven rebounds and eight assists in his 26 minutes on court. With 3:35 remaining in the third period, Tatum attempted a three pointer and as he shot, he collided with Domantas Sabonis and was left writhing on the floor in agony clutching his left ankle.
Sabonis was hit with a flagrant foul for having run under a 3-point shooter and Tatum, after several minutes on the floor, was able to take the two free throws, making one and was then replaced.
Sabonis later stated: “I feel horrible. I’ve had a crazy month myself, personally, and you never want that to happen. So, I apologize.”
Tatum injured by Sabonis on a closeout three.
— Jeri Tsai (@JeriTsaiNets) March 25, 2025
It could be accidental but the NBA needs to make sure all closeout though accidental that results in an injury is a suspension. They need to be tough on this cause it removes star players & ruins chances.pic.twitter.com/lirNk0nBe8
How serious is the Tatum injury?
Despite the scenes of Tatum writhing in agony after the impact on the floor of the Golden 1 Centre, the early signs from the Celtics camp are one of cautious optimism.
The power forward didn’t address the media post game but ESPN have been informed by Celtics staff that the ankle is just ‘sore’ and the player needs to be ‘cautious’.
If, indeed the player’s ankle suffered a sprain, Celtics medical staff will carry out tests to determine the nature of the injury.
Typically a mild sprain/grade 1 sees individuals walking without pain within 1–2 weeks. At this point in time, it’s not feared that Tatum will miss the playoffs but may be rested as a precautionary measure for the next few games.
The Celtics remain on the road with three games upcoming against the Suns, Spurs and Grizzlies.
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