Madison Square Garden witnessed an emotional moment. Amidst the roar of the Knicks completing another successful comeback, they saw Jayson Tatum riding in pain. The star forward had given it his all for the night. To see it end early hurt, but he earned everyone’s respect. Tatum went out to an applause, including that from the Knicks, who broke their huddle as an emotional Tatum was helped off the court.

Generally, Joe Mazzulla exudes toughness during such injuries. Even he felt sorrow watching the 27-year-old ace struggle in that moment. “It’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that,” he said about Tatum.

The Celtics forward was in tears when he was transferred to a wheelchair. Seeing him in such severe pain and being vulnerable really broke the Celtics’ spirit. His career-long teammate, Jaylen Brown, couldn’t even explain his feelings. “It’s tough. There’s not really a lot to say,” he says about the injury. Celtics reporter, Doa Dalzell, admitted this was “the most quiet” she had seen Brown. That alone shows the locker room’s deflated energy.

They didn’t just sympathize with Jayson Tatum because he poured his all into the game. The Celtics showed concern that went beyond just Tatum being their teammate. Al Horford, the veteran center on the team, couldn’t even focus on their loss. As JT is scheduled for an MRI tomorrow, Horford revealed being in a pensive mood.

“The loss is the loss. More importantly, it’s Jayson I’m worried about,” said the 38-year-old about his young teammate.

While the severity of Jayson Tatum’s injury remains unknown, the timing couldn’t be more brutal for the defending champions. The Celtics star had just delivered a signature performance — 42 points, seven 3-pointers, eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals — as Boston led most of the way.

In doing so, Tatum tied franchise legends Larry Bird and John Havlicek for the most 40-point playoff games in Celtics history with five, per ESPN. But instead of celebrating that milestone, Boston now faces an anxious wait. What should’ve been a triumphant night could quickly turn into a turning point — and not the good kind.

It undoubtedly marks a vital moment that could potentially dictate the outcome of the series. But as determined as the Shamrocks have been all year to return glory to the city, them staring down an early exit is the last thing on their mind. The locker room is praying for Jayson Tatum to have avoided a significant ailment.

With all that transpired, though, the atmosphere within the Celtics locker room isn’t great. “I mean obviously that’s our brother, and you hate to see him go down. Like we just know the type of guy he is, and it’s tough to see him go down. But obviously right now it’s it’s pretty low because of the game, and, we just got to find a way to win game five,” said Derrick White.

But no matter where the Celtics look, staying optimistic is extremely tough right now. All White and his teammates can think about is their fallen teammate. “He knows that we love him, and I will see him soon,” the former Spurs guard said about Tatum.

The Celtics haven’t lost hope just yet

As the Boston Celtics look to deal with Jayson Tatum’s saddening injury, they are still faced with a herculean task. Just like the first two games, they managed to beat the Knicks for the majority of the night. Leading by as much as 14, they looked to be soaring towards leveling the series.

But once again, the Big Apple led a surge from the end of the third quarter. From nine minutes remaining in the third quarter, the Knicks went on a 30-12 run to overcome a 14-point deficit within a single quarter. From there, they held their composure, completely taking control in the fourth.

Jalen Brunson added 39 points while three other starters scored 20+ for the Knicks. Now, with a comfortable 3-1 lead, history and odds, all are against the Boston Celtics. And while Tatum’s injury does make it hard to focus, Derrick White and the Celtics haven’t lost their sight just yet.

“Yeah, you just got to find a way. Whoever’s out there. Um, whatever it takes, and just find a way. So, uh, yeah, find a way,” White said about the Celtics’ mindset going into Game 5. 

It’s well understood within the NBA what a 3-1 deficit implies. It exemplifies an improbable situation from which only 13 teams in NBA history have come out from. That’s the task that rests on the Celtics, who could not only be without Jayson Tatum but might be in the final year of having a star-studded roster.

Teams that go up 3-1 in a best-of-seven series have a 95% success rate of winning the series, underscoring how improbable a comeback is.

The consequences of a loss are right in front of their eyes. Having lost their mainstay, the Shamrocks will have to dig deep. The Knicks are resolute, a team that fights till the very end. Their getting complacent is highly unlikely. Luckily, Game 5 will be at the TD Garden, giving at least some edge to the Celtics.

But can they capitalize on it and win their first home game in this series? The Celtics don’t really have a choice but to leave no stones unturned. One more loss and it puts an end to their season, and possibly their era as a dominant force.