What happened to Jayson Tatum? Celtics superstar helped to locker room after seemingly suffering season-ending injury

Boston Celtics superstar Jayson Tatum was helped off the court and into the locker room after suffering a painful non-contact injury late in the fourth quarter during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on Monday. With just 3:08 remaining, Tatum collapsed to the floor in visible agony, clutching his right knee.

Medical staff quickly rushed to his side as he stayed down for an extended period. The Paris Olympics gold medalist was unable to put any weight on his right leg and had to be assisted off the floor and slowly taken to the locker room.

Tatum was left gutted and in tears as he was wheeled back to the locker room. The concern intensified as he appeared unable to flex his ankle, and his collapse after fully extending while pushing off his calf raised serious fears of a potential season-ending injury.

Jayson Tatum was dominant on both ends of the floor before his night was cut short. Defensively, he was disruptive, anticipating plays and shutting them down. Offensively, he showcased his full arsenal. He put together one of the most complete individual performances of the postseason.

He scored 42 points on 16 of 28 shooting, including 7 of 16 from 3-point range. Tatum also added eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in 40 minutes.

NBA fans react to Jayson Tatum's injury

Social media erupted following Jayson Tatum’s injury as fans quickly flooded timelines with prayers and well wishes for the Boston Celtics superstar. Alongside messages of support and hopes for a swift recovery, many also expressed heartbreak and concern over seeing Tatum go down in such devastating fashion.

"He's acting like he's done," a fan commented.

"More than likely an Achilles, probably misses all of next season," commented another fan.

"I’ve never been a Tatum fan but damn you hate to see this. Praying for his recovery," a fan said.

"This has been a tough, competitive series. You never want to see a player like Tatum go down. Hopefully the injury isn’t serious and he makes a full and speedy recovery, whether he returns this series or not," a fan wrote.

Meanwhile, it was a double blow for the Celtics as they not only lost their star player to injury but also fell 121-113, dropping to a 3-1 deficit in the series. Game 5 is set to take place on Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston, with the team now facing a must-win situation to keep its playoff hopes alive.