The Celtics lost All-Star Jayson Tatum to a scary looking ankle injury midway through the third quarter in Monday’s game against the Kings. Tatum went straight to the ground in agony after turning his left ankle upon landing on Domantas Sabonis foot, who was recklessly closing out on a Tatum 3-point attempt.
Tatum was on the floor for over a minute while grabbing at his left ankle before gingerly walking back to the Celtics bench. Tatum hit the 3-pointer, earning the four-point play. Sabonis was then called for a flagrant foul 1 upon an official video review because he didn’t give Tatum a landing spot.
Initially, Tatum needed support walking back to the bench as he nursed his left ankle. The Celtics called an additional timeout after the foul review to give him time to recover on the bench. He returned to the floor, walking slowly as he appeared to get an apology from Sabonis for the foul. Tatum went on to shoot his two free throws for the flagrant foul and then went straight to the Celtics locker room. The team ruled him as doubtful to return a short time later but he never return in Boston’s win.
Tatum was on the verge of a triple-double before the injury, posting 25 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in 26 minutes. The All-Star has been one of the most durable stars in the NBA this season, having appeared in 66 of the Celtics’ 72 games on the season.
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