Late Tuesday afternoon, before an official diagnosis even came to light, news broke that Jayson Tatum had undergone successful surgery on his right Achilles, ruptured Monday night in Game 4 of the Boston Celtics’ second round series against the Knicks. The way he went down, lunging for a loose ball, falling to the court and clutching his ankle, did not look promising. Today’s update confirmed the worst fears of many.
Milwaukee Bucks‘ fans have already been through a devastating Game 4 Achilles injury this postseason, when Damian Lillard suffered tore his left tendon against the Pacers. Now the rival fanbases are in the same boat, dealt a grievous blow to their playoff hopes and, worse still, knowing a star player will miss substantial time next season as well.
Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
Feb 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors and forward Jayson Tatum (0) of the Boston Celtics and guard Damian Lillard (0) of the Milwaukee Bucks and forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Sacramento Kings celebrate with the trophy after defeating Chuck’s Global Stars during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images
For Jayson Tatum and Celtics, Injury Even Bigger Disaster than Lillard’s for Bucks
In another comeback win, the Knicks knocked off the Celtics to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Favored to represent the Eastern Conference in the Finals, Boston now teeters on the brink of elimination.
In contrast to Lillard’s injury, which occurred in the first quarter, Tatum did not sustain his until late in the fourth, adding to the devastation. Unfortunately for the Bucks, Lillard, who turns 35 in July, is not as primed to make a full recovery, although certainly fans and franchise hope he can. No one should doubt his drive and dedication.
Tatum, on the other hand, is just 27, giving him the advantage of youth in his recovery. For the Celtics, this is both a good thing, practically speaking, and another crushing emotional factor. Still well within the prime of his career, Tatum will now miss not only the rest of the 2025 playoffs but a significant chunk of his age 28 season. As the face of the franchise, from an organizational perspective, he was the worst possible candidate for a potentially career-altering injury.
Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Milwaukee Bucks
Nov 10, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) drives for the basket against Milwaukee Bucks guard Damian Lillard (0) in the third quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
As if the catastrophe could not get more painful, when Tatum sustained the tear, he was amidst a 42-point performance on 16-28 from the field, his highest scoring game this postseason. Had the Celtics emerged victorious, they would have been in prime position heading back home tied 2-2, all the momentum on their side.
Tatum getting hurt is the equivalent of a Giannis Antetokounmpo injury in Milwaukee. All in all, Celtics fans endured even more of a nightmare scenario than Bucks faithful did just a couple weeks ago.
Both Franchises Face Uncertainty Next Season
From a roster standpoint, the Bucks are obviously less equipped to mitigate Lillard’s absence than the Celtics are Tatum’s. They still have a core of Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis, along with valuable pieces like ex-Buck Jrue Holiday and Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard.
As currently constructed, Milwaukee’s roster is essentially Giannis and everyone else.
Milwaukee Bucks, Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetokounmpo
Nov 10, 2024; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) jostle for position in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
For either team, a recovery that mirrors a Kevin Durant arc would be the dream. After tearing his Achilles in the 2019 Finals at age 30, Durant sat out the next season to return in 2020-21. Since then, he has never scored less than 26 points per game, right on par with his career average. In the period following the injury, he has actually become a slightly better three-point shooter (43% in 2024-25). Albeit more injury-prone than before, the future Hall of Famer has otherwise resumed his career as though he never missed a beat.
Hopefully, both Lillard and Tatum enjoy a similar rebound.
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