Basketball Junky

Tatum Exits with Ankle Injury, Celtics Fall to Knicks in Game 4

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Madison Square Garden was electric Monday night — but for Celtics fans, the night ended in heartbreak.

With just over three minutes left in Game 4, Jayson Tatum collapsed to the floor, clutching his right ankle in visible agony. The Celtics star called for a timeout and couldn’t stand on his own. Trainers carried him off the floor, and minutes later, he was wheeled down the tunnel, head buried in his hands.

At that moment, the scoreboard read Knicks 111, Celtics 104. The game — and possibly Boston’s season — was slipping away.

New York held on for a 121-113 win, seizing a 3-1 series lead and putting the reigning champs on the brink of elimination. But even as the Knicks celebrated, all eyes were on Tatum’s status. No diagnosis was given immediately after the game — only silence, concern, and a city holding its breath.

Before the injury, Tatum was having a monster night — his best of the playoffs. He poured in 42 points on 16-of-28 shooting, hit seven threes, and added eight boards, four assists, four steals, and two blocks. He was everywhere. He was unstoppable. He was doing everything he could to keep Boston alive.

But on the other side, Jalen Brunson had other plans. The Knicks’ floor general dropped 39 points and dished out 12 assists, orchestrating a third-quarter comeback after trailing by 14. He was the engine behind a 37-point explosion in the third — the most by either team in the series so far — and hit big shot after big shot down the stretch.

Even with Tatum going nuclear, the Knicks looked locked in. Confident. Ready.

Now, the Celtics head back to Boston down 3-1, with their superstar’s ankle—and their title hopes—very much in doubt.

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