The Celtics won't have Jayson Tatum for ... a while.
The Celtics won't have Jayson Tatum for ... a while.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
This story first appeared in Garden Party, a daily-ish playoffs newsletter from Boston Globe Sports.Click here to join the fun.
Hello again 👋 Welcome back to Garden Party, your guide to what a ruptured Achilles’ means for the Celtics
Even with a crystal ball, you couldn’t have seen this coming.
The 18-time NBA Champion Celtics are down 3-1 to the Knicks, facing elimination at home, and they’ll be without their superstar for the remainder of their playoff run — however long (or short) that may be.
Are we sure this is the same team that six of seven NBA insiders picked to win this series? The same that 13 of 13 NBA insiders picked before the playoffs began to make it to the Finals?
Sure doesn’t feel like it.
Jayson Tatum underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a ruptured Achilles’ tendon, which he suffered in the Celtics’ Game 4 loss at Madison Square Garden. He’ll be out for the rest of the year, and likely for a good chunk of next season, and his injury could be the impetus for a Celtics rebuild (Gasp! I know you guys don’t really like that word around here).
Coming back from a 3-1 deficit is a daunting task — only 13 NBA teams have done it, and only five have done it after losing the first two games at home.
Can the Celtics prolong their season in Game 5? And what comes next now that Tatum’s out?
Let’s get into it.
About last night and what’s on deck
So long, Cleveland
Tyrese Haliburton, you monster.
Tyrese Haliburton, you monster.Sue Ogrocki/Associated Press
Longtime readers of this newsletter will know I’m a vocal advocate for Cleveland, my beloved hometown. Poet/author/basketball fan/Ohio native Hanif Abdurraqib described it perfectly when he wrote that Cleveland is “a city people foolishly consider to be a losing city.” On the whole, he’s correct: Clevelanders will always believe the city is greater than the words outsiders have used to describe it.
But last night, the city lost. Let’s get into it.
🏀 The most promising Cavaliers season since 2016 came to an early end at the hands of Tyrese Haliburton (31 points) and the Pacers, who stomped on Cleveland with a 114-105 win in Game 5. Indiana will now await its Eastern Conference opponent, which, as Celtics fans know, could be decided as early as Wednesday.
🏀 The Thunder took a 3-2 lead in their Western Conference series with a 112-105 win over Denver. The game was tied at 103 before Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went on a 9-2 run in the last 1:40. Oh, and did I mention Nikola Jokic had 44 and 15? Incredible stuff.
🏒 The Jets, winners of the Presidents’ Trophy, remain winless on the road this postseason after a 3-1 loss to Dallas in Game 4. The Stars lead the series, 3-1, with a chance to close it out in Winnipeg.
🏒 The Ottawa Charge and Montreal Victoire are probably still tired from playing four (4!!) overtimes on Sunday (a 3-2 win for Montreal). They played again last night and settled things in regulation, with Ottawa taking a 2-1 series lead with a 1-0 win.
🗓️ Up next: The Celtics are facing elimination, down 3-1 to the Knicks, and will return to TD Garden Wednesday without Jayson Tatum. That game tips off at 7 p.m. on TNT.Here’s your preview.
In the know
Adam Himmelsbach on what this means for Boston
You're probably tired of seeing this photo by now.
You're probably tired of seeing this photo by now.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Adam Himmelsbach, the Globe’s Celtics beat writer, weighs in on the future for Tatum and the Celtics.
Emma: Given the age and price tag of some of the Celtics’ cornerstones, what could Tatum’s injury could mean for the roster going forward?
Adam: The Celtics are projected to have a combined salary and luxury tax bill of about $500 million next season, which would be by far the highest in NBA history. Also, the team sits well above the second apron line, putting it in position to be hit with more roster-building restrictions.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens was probably going to look to trim payroll anyway, but with Tatum expected to miss most or all of next season there will be even more impetus to shed salary elsewhere. Maybe the team looks to trade Kristaps Porzingis or Jrue Holiday. Maybe 39-year-old Al Horford sees that the championship window has likely closed and decides to retire. There will be changes.
Emma: With no Tatum and the Celtics down 3-1, is a repeat title — or even just a win in this series — a possibility at this point?
Adam: If the Celtics opened this series without Tatum, they still would have been favored to defeat the Knicks. But the 3-1 deficit has removed all margin for error. There has been some suggestion that the players will be emotionally shattered on the court following Tatum’s injury, but I don’t see that happening. They’re pros and they understand this is all part of the game.
But they’ll definitely need Porzingis and Jaylen Brown to regain their top form in order to make a run and advance to the next round. They’d probably be slight underdogs against the Pacers in the conference finals and substantial underdogs against a team like the Thunder in the Finals. But it’s important to remember the Knicks opened this 3-1 lead with Tatum on the court.
For the group chat
Looking to history for consolation
Jayson Tatum could miss all of next season.
Jayson Tatum could miss all of next season.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
If there’s any good news about Jayson Tatum’s Achilles’ tendon injury, it’s that this is not the first time an NBA player has suffered the same fate, and thus we have some frames of reference for what his recovery could look like.
Tatum is expected to make a full recovery after he underwent surgery Tuesday, according to the team, but it’s not clear how long he’ll be out or how much his game will change upon his return. Looking at history, it’s likely Tatum could miss part or all of 2025-2026 season.
Kevin Durant took 18 months to recover from a ruptured Achilles’ suffered during the 2019 NBA Finals, but he said it took even longer for him to feel like himself again. Kobe Bryant took a little less than eight months to return in 2013, but the remainder of his career was marred by injuries.
Klay Thompson and Dominique Wilkins returned to top form after their injuries, but DeMarcus Cousins wasn’t so fortunate. Cousins was averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds with the Pelicans when he tore his Achilles’ in 2018 at age 27. He missed almost a full calendar year and played in just 30 games with the Warriors the following season. He averaged fewer than 10 points per game in his final four seasons in the league, all of which came with different teams.
Go deeper
Three stories you shouldn’t miss
**🔨 A rebuild could be in the cards:**Missing Tatum in 2025-26 will knock the Celtics down a few notches and may be the impetus for a considerable rebuild as they prepare for the next few years.Gary Washburn has more on what the injury means in terms of the salary cap, new ownership, and more.
**🔥Passing the torch:**Since Jayson Tatum arrived in Boston in 2018, Jaylen Brown has only played 39 games without him. The Celtics are 22-17 in those games. Brown will have to fill the hole in Tatum’s absence, both with more minutes and more scoring.
🤕 What now?: After a “really significant injury,” what’s next for Jayson Tatum?Local doctors weigh in.
Emma Healy can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com or on X @ByEmmaHealy.