Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum gave his fans a scare during Monday night’s game against the Sacramento Kings. It was in the third quarter when he left the game due to a left ankle sprain.
The injury happened unexpectedly when Tatum tried a contested three-pointer and landed awkwardly on Kings center Domantas Sabonis’ foot.
This led to a flagrant foul on Sabonis. Later, the Celtics reported that Tatum had an ankle sprain and was doubtful to return. He did not re-enter the game.
After Looking at the replay couple of times, and the fact that Tatum was able to walk off on his own power is definitely a good sign.
— Sourjdaddy (@thesourj) March 25, 2025
With that being said, Sabonis trying to close out and and being too close to the landing zone of the shooter is absolutely unacceptable.
What’s… pic.twitter.com/XvzCyBK6Js
Before leaving, Tatum had an impressive performance, scoring 25 points, recording 8 assists, and grabbing 7 rebounds in just 26 minutes. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stayed positive about Tatum’s condition and praised the officials for making the right call.
Domantas Sabonis apologizes for causing Jayson Tatum’s ankle injury
It is not common for a player who is directly or indirectly involved in an injury to later offer an apology. But the NBA world witnessed this level of sportsmanship from Kings star center Domantas Sabonis.
“I feel horrible,” Sabonis said, per Brenden Nunes on Twitter. “I’ve had a crazy month myself, personally, and you never want that to happen. So, I apologize.”
Domantas Sabonis apologizes for his flagrant foul that hurt Jayson Tatum. pic.twitter.com/qAoasJGcQ3
— Matt George (@MattGeorgeSAC) March 25, 2025
However, early signs suggest the injury may not be severe, but the team is taking precautions to ensure their star player is ready for the playoffs.
