The Celtics cruised past Sacramento on Monday with a commanding 113-95 victory, holding their opponent to just 44 second-half points. Dominating the game and shooting efficiently from deep (19-of-50, 38%), Joe Mazzulla’s squad extended their winning streak to six and secured their ninth win in ten games, improving their overall record to 53-19—second in the East behind Cleveland.
However, the otherwise flawless night was marred by Jayson Tatum’s injury late in the third quarter. The Boston star, who had already scored 24 points, landed awkwardly on Domantas Sabonis’ unstable foot while attempting a three-pointer. The incident, reminiscent of Zaza Pachulia’s infamous foul on Kawhi Leonard in the 2017 NBA Playoffs, resulted in a level 1 flagrant foul being called by the officials.
After spending several minutes on the ground while Beantown’s medical staff assessed him, Jayson Tatum returned to the court to take his two free throws—missing the first due to the shooting foul and making the second from the flagrant foul called on Sabonis—before heading to the locker room. Despite his early exit, the Paris Games gold medalist with Team USA still finished as the game’s leading scorer with 25 points, leaving the Celtics facing uncertainty just weeks before the postseason.
With only 10 regular-season games remaining and the playoffs fast approaching, Boston is now anxiously awaiting medical test results to determine how long their star player will be sidelined.
Domantas Sabonis, who has missed significant time this year due to injuries, was visibly shaken by the incident and expressed his concern for Tatum after the game.
“I feel terrible. I’ve had a rough past month dealing with my own physical struggles, and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. All I can do is apologize.”
As the defending champions, Joe Mazzulla’s squad is determined to secure back-to-back titles—something not seen since the Warriors’ repeat in 2017 and 2018. However, to achieve this historic feat, they’ll need Tatum at full strength.