Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum has undergone successful surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon in his right leg, the team announced on Tuesday night.
Tatum, who will miss the rest of the 2025 NBA playoffs, suffered the injury late in Game 4 of the Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
Jayson Tatum today underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. No timetable is currently available for his return, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Further updates will be provided when appropriate. pic.twitter.com/TTXziFtMQB
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 13, 2025
The two-time Olympic champion was visibly in pain as he was carried off court with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter after sustaining the injury while trying to challenge for a loose ball.
Tatum finished the game with 42 points and eight rebounds in 40 minutes, one of his best playoff performances, but Boston lost 121-113 to the Knicks, who are now in control of the series, having taken a 3-1 lead.
The Celtics did not reveal a timeline for his return but confirmed that a full recovery was expected, with the 27-year-old likely to miss the entire 2025-26 NBA season.
For the second straight postseason, Tatum is leading the Celtics in points (28.1), rebounds (11.5), and assists (5.4) per game, and his absence for the remainder of the postseason spells doom for a Boston side that has lost three games against New York despite leading with double figures in all the games.
The Knicks will return to the TD Garden in Boston for Game 5 on Wednesday night.
