Jayson Tatum’s night took a painful turn after an awkward landing during the Celtics-Kings matchup on Monday. Midway through the third quarter, Tatum went up for a three but came down on Domantas Sabonis’ foot, twisting his left ankle in the process. The reckless closeout sent him crashing to the floor in visible pain.

He remained down for over a minute, clutching his ankle before slowly making his way to the Celtics bench. Despite the injury, Tatum still managed to knock down the three, securing a four-point play. However, the impact was serious enough to send him straight to the locker room, leaving Celtics fans holding their breath.

Commentators didn’t hold back in their criticism either, pointing out the reckless closeout. “Concerned Brown and Sabonis are both over there. Oh, he’s rolling around, too. This is the last thing the Celtics want to see.”

The frustration was immediate. Al Horford and assistant coach DJ McClay erupted, shouting, “Are you serious?” while Jayson Tatum remained on the floor in clear pain. As the broadcast team pointed out, “This is what’s so dangerous about going underneath guys like that. You know, in their landing spot, like that is not cool. You’ve got to let the guy land. This happens to Tatum all the time.”

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The referees initially called a defensive foul, but after reviewing the play, they upgraded it to a flagrant foul penalty one. “The defensive player went under the shooter’s landing area, causing him to turn his ankle. Since the ball went in, Boston will shoot two free throws to make one,” the official announced.

While Tatum received MVP chants from the crowd, the concern remained. “He doesn’t really roll around like that,” the broadcast team noted, emphasizing the severity of the injury. “Let that breathe.”

The Celtics called a timeout to give Tatum a moment to collect himself, with uncertainty lingering over whether he would take his free throws when the game resumed. Meanwhile, frustration over the referees’ inability to protect Tatum boiled over, with broadcasters and the bench alike calling for more accountability on these dangerous plays.

Despite the heated reactions, Boston had to refocus and close out the game without their star forward. With Tatum sidelined, the pressure shifted to the rest of the roster to maintain their grip on the lead and fend off a potential Kings comeback.

The C’s finish the job even without Jayson Tatum

The Celtics have made it clear—health, rest, and rhythm are their top priorities heading into the postseason. And they’ll need to take special care of their star and potential MVP Tatum. After he went down with a left ankle sprain late in the third quarter, landing on Domantas Sabonis’ foot while drilling a four-point play, he stuck around just long enough to sink his free throw.

He then walked to the locker room looking slightly better than when he first went down. The Celtics called a timeout, leaving uncertainty over whether he’d return. Meanwhile, frustration boiled over as broadcasters and the bench questioned why officials weren’t doing more to prevent these dangerous plays.

Even without Tatum, Boston never lost control. His four-point play had already put them up 11, and they never let Sacramento climb back in. Payton Pritchard stepped up with 22 points off the bench, while Jaylen Brown, returning from a three-game absence, added nine in 26 minutes.

The Kings made a late push, with Zach LaVine scoring eight straight to trim a 15-point lead to 10. But Baylor Scheierman and Pritchard silenced any comeback hopes with timely threes. Scheierman also pulled down seven boards and grabbed two steals, while Kristaps Porziņģis chipped in 16 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. Boston’s sixth straight win proved they can take care of business—even when Tatum isn’t on the floor.