Jayson Tatum underwent surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon after suffering the injury during Boston’s Game 4 loss to New York.
The Celtics said the operation on 13 May 2025 was successful and Tatum was expected to recover fully, but set no return date.
Tatum goes down late in Game 4
The injury happened without contact with 2:58 remaining. Tatum had scored 42 points before leaving the court as Boston fell 3-1 behind in the series.
He had led the Celtics during the playoffs with averages of 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
A wrist injury had already forced him to miss Game 2 against Orlando, the first postseason absence of his career.
Celtics face the series without their leader
Jaylen Brown said Boston still had enough talent to fight, while Kristaps Porzingis stressed that Tatum would want his teammates focused on Game 5.
The Celtics were also managing Brown’s knee problem and the effects of a viral illness that had limited Porzingis.
Any attempt to recover from a 3-1 deficit now had to come without the player who led them in scoring, rebounding and assists.
Injury reshapes Boston’s plans
Achilles recoveries often extend well into the following season. Kevin Durant missed an entire campaign after suffering the same injury in the 2019 Finals.
Boston also faced a projected payroll and tax bill exceeding $500 million for the next season.
Tatum’s injury changed both the immediate playoff series and the franchise’s longer-term decisions around an expensive championship roster.
