While the injury shouldn't derail Tatum's career, it does give the Celtics a major obstacle to overcome. Boston has been to the conference finals five times and has had a pair of NBA Finals appearances—including a win last year—since 2017. Much of that success, especially over the past five or so years, has been largely due to Tatum.

An eight to nine-month recovery for Tatum could potentially put him in play for a return to the court in January or February of 2026.

Tatum is expected to miss several months with a ruptured right Achilles’ tendon, a rare injury for someone of his age.

Jayson Tatum rupturing his Achilles tendon was far worse than Boston going down 3-1 in its second-round series, with Tatum now out for the remainder of this run (and likely next season).

The best place to focus is the 3-point defense, particularly in transition. New York was borderline abysmal at defending the 3-point line against one of the NBA’s premier shooting teams.