Achilles tendon torn! Tatum is seriously injured + exited in a wheelchair, medical expert: may miss the 25-26 season

The cheers from Madison Square Garden came to an abrupt end as Tatum fell to the ground - when the Celtic leader suddenly rolled in his legs without confrontation, all the basketball fans' hearts were pounding.

The "Achilles tendon tear warning" from medical experts cast a heavy shadow on the Celtics' road to defending their title and Tatum's career.

Tatum's wonderful performance in G5 has become the end of his playoffs this season.

As soon as the game started, Tatum showed his attitude. He scored 6 of 8 shots, 3 of 5 three-pointers, and scored 15 points. In the first half, he scored 20 points by himself, helping the team lead 62-51 by 11 points.

The overall performance of the team declined in the second half, but Tatum was still strong. In this quarter, he scored 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals, but he was unable to beat four-handed with both fists. In this quarter, the Celtics lost 14 points and fell behind by 3 points.

When other teammates still had no feel in the fourth quarter, he showed off his strength again, making 4 of 6 shots in a single quarter, 2 of 3-pointers, and scoring 11 points, but fate played a cruel joke on him in the last 3 minutes of the game.

During a no-confrontation run, his right leg suddenly lost support and then fell to the ground in pain. The scene footage showed that Tatum clutched the Achilles tendon area with his hands, his expression was extremely painful, and he was eventually pushed out of the stadium by a wheelchair.

Tatum's data was paused in the whole game, with 16 of 28 shots, 7 of 16 three-pointers, 42 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 4 steals and 2 blocks.

The Celtics, who lost their backbone, were also defeated by the Knicks 113-121 and fell behind 1-3. The Celtics were pushed to the edge of the cliff. After the game, several medical experts analyzed through video replay that Tatum's injury is most likely to be a torn Achilles tendon, rather than a normal sprain or fracture:

No confrontational injury: Achilles tendon rupture usually occurs when there is no confrontational force exerting force, which is highly consistent with Tatum's situation.

Unable to bear weight: Tatum's right leg was completely unable to bear stress when he left the field and needed wheelchair assistance. This is a typical symptom of ruptured Achilles tendon.

Calp shake: Expert Jeffries pointed out that the abnormal shaking of the calf muscles at the moment of Tatum's injury is in line with the medical characteristics of tearing the Achilles tendon.

If he is diagnosed with a torn Achilles tendon, Tatum will face a 10-12-month recovery period, which means he may miss the entire 2025-26 season, and even affects the peak of his career.

Tatum's 42-point night was supposed to be a footnote to the legend, but it became one of the most tragic moments in the history of the NBA's playoffs due to an injury without a confrontation.

If a torn Achilles tendon is diagnosed, the 26-year-old superstar will face the most severe challenges of his career. For the Celtics, this is not only a loss in a game, but also the end of the "Double Tanhua Era".