The Boston Celtics’ title defense may have just come to an abrupt halt, and Jayson Tatum’s season-ending injury might be the final nail in the coffin. The Celtics star recently underwent surgery after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon, ruling him out for the remainder of the playoffs.
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And while Boston fans are hoping the team can rally back from a 3-1 deficit against the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Charles Barkley isn’t holding his breath. Barkley didn’t mince words about Boston’s chances on TNT’s NBA Tip-Off.
While Barkley is confident that this series will be the end of the Celtics’ season, he believes they have one more trick up their sleeve. He said that the Celtics are going to win Game 5, but that would be their last win of the season. What’s more, Barkley couldn’t resist taking a few jabs at Knicks fans along the way.
Known for his playful and sometimes ruthless trolling, Chuck said he’s tuning in not just for the basketball, but for the drama. He said, “If they go into Game 6, it’ll be some pressure on them boys and I’m here for it. I want to sit there.”
Barkley’s stance is clear: he’s in it for just the drama. The Celtics will play Game 5 at the TD Garden tomorrow, and if they win, they’ll cut the Knicks’ lead to one game. However, there isn’t much hope left for Game 6 at the MSG, as every game from here on out is an elimination game for the Celtics.
Despite the tough circumstances surrounding Tatum’s injury, Barkley also offered some words of support and advice for the Celtics star. Chuck wants JT to seek the right help.
Charles Barkley gave Jayson Tatum advice on his injury
In the fourth quarter of Game 4, Tatum was carried off the court after his injury. The Celtics ended up losing 113-121 to go one step closer to elimination. But the real blow came after the game when it was announced that he had ruptured his right Achilles tendon. As of now, JT has undergone surgery and is expected to go through a full recovery process.
While Tatum will get the right treatment and help around him, Barkley wants him to talk to people who have been through this injury. He said, “First call I would make is to Kevin Durant. Same thing, I told Victor Wembanyama about the blood clot, my first call would have been to Chris Bosh. If I’m Jayson, I’ll call Kevin Durant.”
Since KD suffered the same injury, made a great comeback, and is still performing at a high level, Chuck believes that he would have some great advice for JT. These two have a good relationship and were teammates during the 2024 Olympics, so getting KD’s opinion on his recovery and conditioning would be the right thing to do.
