New York Knicks star Jalen Brunson believes the NBA is better when Jayson Tatum is playing. Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Brunson said the NBA "needs Jayson Tatum" in the wake of the Boston Celtics star undergoing surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles suffered in the Knicks' win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

It may be a long time before Celtics fans see Jayson Tatum back on the court, but he had a message to those watching Boston’s 127-102 win over the Knicks in Game 5.

Jayson Tatum shared a photo of himself giving a thumbs-up from a hospital bed following his surgery for a ruptured right Achilles tendon.

A week ago, a Celtics dynasty was plausible. They were -900 favorites against the New York Knicks before their second-round series began. That number is +400 on Caesars after Tatum's injury news. Just by virtue of playing in the Eastern Conference,

Before the game, Jayson Tatum (who is now out for the season) made a post to Instagram that had over 330,000 likes in less than 30 minutes. Tatum wrote: "Thankful for all the love and support 🙏🏽"

The Celtics, without their All-Star scorer, without the engine that fuels a championship machine, live to see another day.

The star power is gone in some cases, aching in others, and there's no question that injuries are becoming the story of this postseason. For Lillard — and now possibly Tatum, depending on what the MRI and other exams show — injuries could be part of the story next season as well.

The Boston Celtics let the New York Knicks run away with a critical Game 4 victory in Madison Square Garden late last night, putting their own title defense in