The Boston Celtics have been pegged as the team to beat for a second consecutive NBA title all season long. After hitting a bumpy patch in January, they found their rhythm, rolling into Monday’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings on a hot streak—10 victories in their last 11 games.
They welcomed back star wing Jaylen Brown from a bone bruise for that game, only to see their top gun, Jayson Tatum, go down with an ankle injury.
Tatum tweaked his ankle after splashing a 3-pointer and coming down awkwardly on Kings star center Domantas Sabonis’ foot.
Sabonis was tagged with a flagrant 1 for encroaching on Tatum’s landing area, and Tatum needed assistance to limp back to the locker room.
The standout forward didn’t stick around for post-game chats with the media, but a tweet from Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe suggested he was in decent spirits afterward, sporting sneakers on both feet.
“Jayson Tatum isn’t being made available for interviews,” Himmelsbach wrote.
“He’s at his locker eating and joking with teammates and wearing sneakers on both feet though.”
It goes without saying that if Tatum’s sidelined for a prolonged period, it could throw a wrench into the Celtics’ dreams of repeating as champions.
Heading into Monday, he was putting up 27.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game. He’d been on a tear lately, with a couple of 40-point explosions in recent weeks—including a 46-point masterpiece in a tough 123-116 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 28.
Tatum had already dropped 25 points before leaving the Sacramento game. Even without him for the finish, Boston cruised to a comfy 113-95 victory, boosting their record to 53-19.
Domantas Sabonis Reacts to Jayson Tatum Injury in Celtics-Kings
The Sacramento Kings welcomed the Boston Celtics to their court on Monday night for a big cross-conference showdown, but it didn’t play out the way they’d envisioned.
The Celtics dominated the Kings, walking away with a 113-95 victory, powered by superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who racked up 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 5-of-9 from deep.
Tatum’s night took an unfortunate turn, though. Late in the third quarter, as he launched a three-pointer, he came down on Kings star Domantas Sabonis’ foot during a closeout, crumpling to the floor with an ankle injury.
Sabonis was handed a flagrant 1 foul for the play, which was fair, and Tatum didn’t return after knocking down his flagrant free throws.
After the game, Sabonis opened up about the accidental closeout, offering a genuine apology to Tatum for causing the injury.
“I feel horrible. I’ve had a crazy month myself, personally, and you never want that to happen,” Sabonis said. “So, I apologize.”
Before suiting up again on Monday night, Sabonis had sat out nine of Sacramento’s last 11 games, including the most recent three with an ankle sprain.
Stuff like this happens all the time in the NBA—it’s just the nature of the game—and there’s no doubt Sabonis didn’t intend to hurt anyone with his closeout.
Tatum’s been a force this season, putting up 27.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game while steering the Celtics to a strong 53-19 record.
With Boston chasing back-to-back NBA titles, fans and teammates alike are keeping their fingers crossed that Tatum’s ankle injury turns out to be minor.
