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.”
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.
This is a developing story…
The post Broadcasters Detail Bench’s Immediate Reaction to Jayson Tatum Injury as Refs’ Failure to Protect Celtics Star Scrutinized appeared first on EssentiallySports.