NEW YORK — Celtics star Jayson Tatum will be nearby when Boston takes on the New York Knicks in a must-win Game 6 on Friday night. The team is trying to stay alive in the playoffs and force a Game 7.
Tatum has left a New York hospital after having surgery to fix a torn right Achilles tendon. He got hurt late in Game 4, when Boston lost 121-113 to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The 27-year-old All-Star saw his teammates on Thursday at their hotel for the first time since the injury. His surgery went well, and he has been recovering in New York.
“It’s tough to see someone like him get injured,” said Celtics guard Sam Hauser on Friday morning. “But he wants us to keep fighting. We saw him yesterday—he was in good spirits. We’re thinking of him and trying to win for him.”
Tatum will need about nine months to recover. When Kevin Durant had a similar injury in 2019, he missed the whole next season.
The Celtics say they’re playing for Tatum now. Seeing him gave the team a big emotional boost. Guard Payton Pritchard said, “We didn’t talk about basketball. It was more about how he’s doing as a person. That’s what matters most right now.”
If Boston wins Friday’s game, Game 7 will happen Monday night in Boston.
The Celtics are trying to become only the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit and win.