Celtics’ star Jayson Tatum exited due to injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 121-113 loss to the Knicks in Game 4 on Monday night.
The Celtics confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that Jayson Tatum has suffered a torn Achilles tendon, and has already undergone surgery and will miss most of next season.
Entering the season, the Celtics were the reigning champions and convincing favorites to go back-to-back. Boston was +400 or lower to win the title, and a convincing start to the regular season saw those odds go even lower.
The Celtics, though, are still favored by 4.5 points for Wednesday night’s Game 5 in Boston against the Knicks. Sportsbooks are skeptical that the Celtics will lay down without a fight.
The futures markets are not being as kind to the Celtics. Boston is now +2500 to win its second straight title. Only the Warriors, who are also down 3-1 in the series and without their superstar player, have longer odds at +11000.
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Boston was the favorite to win the Eastern Conference and retain its title entering the playoffs. Instead, the top two seeds in the East are down 3-1, and it’s looking like a Knicks vs. Pacers conference finals barring a big surprise.
The Celtics blew a double-digit halftime lead on Monday night against the Knicks, and Tatum going down due to a non-contact injury was the cherry on top of their awful evening.
Tatum struggled in the first three games of the series, shooting 20-of-52 from the field. He was excellent on Monday, though, going 16-of-28 for a series high 42 points. He played at least 40 minutes in all four games of the series against New York that he played.
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