What Happened to Jayson Tatum? Celtics Star Injures Ankle vs. Kings

The Boston Celtics secured another dominant road win on Monday night, overpowering the Sacramento Kings 113-95. But amid the celebration of their sixth straight victory, fans were left holding their breath after star forward Jayson Tatum exited the game with an ankle injury late in the third quarter.

Here’s everything we know so far about Tatum’s injury and what it could mean for the Celtics moving forward.

What happened to Jayson Tatum?

With 3:35 left in the third quarter, Tatum went up for a 3-point attempt and came down awkwardly on Domantas Sabonis’ foot, rolling his left ankle. The play drew immediate concern as Tatum collapsed to the floor in visible pain and remained down for several minutes.

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Sabonis was assessed a flagrant foul for infringing on the landing space of the shooter — a safety rule put in place to prevent precisely this kind of injury.

Despite the obvious discomfort, Tatum showed resilience. He stayed in to take his two free throws (making one) before heading to the bench and did not return for the remainder of the game.

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How serious is the injury?

As of Tuesday morning, there’s been no official update from the Celtics on the severity of Tatum’s ankle injury. While the fact that he was able to walk off and shoot free throws is somewhat encouraging, his absence from the fourth quarter was a precaution that will be evaluated further with imaging and medical tests.

The team will likely provide more clarity in the coming days, especially as Boston continues its six-game road trip.

How was Tatum playing before the injury?

Tatum was on fire before going down. In just 26 minutes, he led all scorers with 25 points, while also tallying seven rebounds and eight assists. He hit 5-of-10 from beyond the arc and 8-of-15 overall from the field, showing his usual offensive dominance in a high-stakes road matchup.

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Tatum’s sharpshooting helped Boston outscore Sacramento 57-24 from deep, with teammate Payton Pritchard adding 22 points and five threes off the bench.

How did the Celtics finish the game without him?

Even without their leader on the floor in the fourth, the Celtics didn’t slow down. A quick 5-0 burst from Baylor Scheierman and Derrick White pushed the lead to 15, and from there, Boston cruised to the win.

Kristaps Porzingis contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, while Luke Kornet added 13 points and matched Porzingis with eight boards. White chipped in with 12 points and eight assists — tying Tatum for the team-high in dimes.

With the win, the Celtics improved to 53-19 and maintained their grip on the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

What’s next for the Celtics and Tatum?

Boston is just three games into a tough six-game road swing, and all eyes will be on the team’s injury report ahead of their next matchup. Losing Tatum for any stretch of time could impact their late-season momentum and playoff seeding.

That said, the Celtics have shown they can win in a variety of ways — and Monday’s performance without their star in the fourth quarter is proof.

Fans will be hoping for positive news on Tatum’s status soon, especially as the postseason approaches. For now, the Celtics will likely proceed with caution as they await further testing on their franchise player.