Celtics' Jayson Tatum Shares Photo from Hospital Bed After Surgery on Achilles Injury
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum is keeping a positive attitude after undergoing surgery on Tuesday to repair his ruptured Achilles.
In a post on Instagram, Tatum shared a picture of himself giving a thumbs up from his hospital bed with the caption: "Thankful for all the love and support."
Tatum suffered the injury late in the fourth quarter of Boston's 121-113 loss to the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday. He was attempting to go after a loose ball when his right leg gave out on him.
After grabbing at his ankle on the court, Tatum had to be helped to the bench before being taken to the locker room in a wheelchair.
The Celtics announced on Tuesday that Tatum had ruptured his Achilles and had already undergone surgery. They did not offer a timetable for his return but noted that a full recovery is expected.
Tatum was in the midst of one of the best playoff games of his career when the injury occurred. The six-time All-Star had 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.
It was Tatum's fifth career 40-point game in the postseason and first since Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals against the Philadelphia 76ers (51 points).
Given the timing of the injury, Tatum figures to miss most if not all of the entire 2025-26 season. ESPN's Kevin Pelton noted J.J. Barea was the last player who returned from a ruptured Achilles in less than 10.5 months in 2019.
The Celtics need to mount a furious comeback against the Knicks without Tatum to keep their season alive. They will host Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
