Jayson Tatum’s game against the Sacramento Kings took a painful turn after an unfortunate landing in the third quarter. While attempting a three-pointer, he came down on Domantas Sabonis’ foot, twisting his left ankle in the process. The awkward closeout sent him crashing to the floor in visible pain.
Tatum remained on the ground for over a minute, clutching his ankle before making his way slowly to the Celtics bench. Despite the injury, he managed to sink the three-pointer, securing a four-point play. However, the impact was serious enough to force him to leave the game and head straight to the locker room, leaving Boston fans concerned about his condition.
The play sparked immediate frustration from the Celtics’ bench and commentators, who criticized the dangerous closeout. Al Horford and assistant coach DJ McClay voiced their anger, while the broadcast team emphasized the recklessness of the move, stating, “This is what’s so dangerous about going underneath guys like that. You have to let the guy land. This happens to Tatum all the time.”
Initially, the referees called a defensive foul, but after a review, they upgraded it to a flagrant foul penalty one. The officials explained their decision, stating, “The defensive player went under the shooter’s landing area, causing him to turn his ankle. Since the ball went in, Boston will shoot two free throws to make one.”
As Tatum received MVP chants from the crowd, concern over his condition remained. Broadcasters noted that he doesn’t typically react that way to injuries, which further highlighted the severity of the situation. The Celtics called a timeout to allow him time to recover, but uncertainty lingered over whether he would return to the game.
Frustration with the officiating continued, as many felt that Tatum needed better protection from these types of plays. However, Boston had to move forward without their star player, shifting the responsibility to the rest of the team to maintain their lead and hold off a potential Kings comeback.
Celtics Secure Victory Without Tatum
Despite losing Tatum to injury, the Celtics stayed focused and finished the job. With their primary goal being health and rhythm heading into the playoffs, they knew they had to be cautious with their star forward. After going down with a left ankle sprain, Tatum remained in the game just long enough to hit his free throw before walking to the locker room.
Boston maintained control even without him on the floor. His four-point play had already extended their lead to 11 points, and they ensured Sacramento never had a real chance to close the gap.
Several players stepped up in Tatum’s absence. Payton Pritchard delivered an impressive 22 points off the bench, while Jaylen Brown, returning after a three-game absence, contributed nine points in 26 minutes.
Sacramento made a late push, with Zach LaVine scoring eight straight points to cut Boston’s 15-point advantage down to 10. However, timely three-pointers from Baylor Scheierman and Pritchard shut down any hopes of a Kings comeback. Scheierman also had seven rebounds and two steals, while Kristaps Porziņģis added 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks.
With their sixth straight win, the Celtics demonstrated their ability to take care of business—even without Tatum. Now, the focus shifts to his recovery and whether the NBA is doing enough to protect players from dangerous closeouts like the one that caused his injury.