Latest on Tatum's scary leg injury late in Celtics' Game 4 loss to Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Jayson Tatum’s brilliant performance at Madison Square Garden on Monday had a nightmare ending for the Boston Celtics.

Tatum suffered a painful right lower leg injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. The injury was non-contact, as Tatum went down on his own while diving for a loose ball.

The Celtics star appeared to be in significant pain and couldn’t put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the floor. ESPN’s cameras showed Tatum being transported through the MSG tunnel in a wheelchair.

Jayson Tatum was emotional while leaving the game in a wheelchair from a non-contact injury. pic.twitter.com/ZtUGRedUzg

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2025

Tatum will get an MRI on his right leg Tuesday, according to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who called Tatum’s ailment a “lower body injury” after the game.

“Obviously you’re always worried about someone’s health, so the fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Mazzulla told reporters. “He didn’t, and we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is, but it’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”

The injury put a damper on a terrific night for Tatum, who contributed 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in nearly 40 minutes of play.

In the short term, the Celtics face a 3-1 series deficit and will have to win Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday without their best player to keep their season alive. But Tatum’s injury, if it’s as severe as it looked, could have significant long-term ramifications for a Celtics team that’s already deep in the luxury tax.

Wednesday’s Game 5 is set for 7 p.m. ET, and in the meantime, all eyes will be on Tatum as the team awaits the results of his MRI on Tuesday.

Latest on Tatum's scary leg injury late in Celtics' Game 4 loss to Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Jayson Tatum’s brilliant performance at Madison Square Garden on Monday had a nightmare ending for the Boston Celtics.

Tatum suffered a painful right lower leg injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. The injury was non-contact, as Tatum went down on his own while diving for a loose ball.

The Celtics star appeared to be in significant pain and couldn’t put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the floor. ESPN’s cameras showed Tatum being transported through the MSG tunnel in a wheelchair.

Jayson Tatum was emotional while leaving the game in a wheelchair from a non-contact injury. pic.twitter.com/ZtUGRedUzg

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2025

Tatum will get an MRI on his right leg Tuesday, according to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who called Tatum’s ailment a “lower body injury” after the game.

“Obviously you’re always worried about someone’s health, so the fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Mazzulla told reporters. “He didn’t, and we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is, but it’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”

The injury put a damper on a terrific night for Tatum, who contributed 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in nearly 40 minutes of play.

In the short term, the Celtics face a 3-1 series deficit and will have to win Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday without their best player to keep their season alive. But Tatum’s injury, if it’s as severe as it looked, could have significant long-term ramifications for a Celtics team that’s already deep in the luxury tax.

Wednesday’s Game 5 is set for 7 p.m. ET, and in the meantime, all eyes will be on Tatum as the team awaits the results of his MRI on Tuesday.

‘Rigged': NBA fans react to Mavericks winning draft lottery, Cooper Flagg originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

From trading away a franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks have been rewarded.

In a stunning moment, the Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Monday despite having just a 1.8% chance at doing so…the fourth-worst odds. Dallas now has first dibs at Duke star Cooper Flagg, the best prospect in the class.

The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets all had the best odds for having the worst records in the campaign, but none of them got within the top three. Charlotte at No. 4 was the closest.

Jumping was the Philadelphia 76ers to No. 3, but Flagg will not form a triumvirate with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The San Antonio Spurs also rose once again to No. 2, but Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Co. will also not have Flagg.

Instead, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison gets an instant shot at redemption by pairing Flagg with Anthony Davis and potentially Kyrie Irving.

Here are some of the best reactions on social media following the reveal:

‘Rigged': NBA fans react to Mavericks winning draft lottery, Cooper Flagg originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

From trading away a franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks have been rewarded.

In a stunning moment, the Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Monday despite having just a 1.8% chance at doing so…the fourth-worst odds. Dallas now has first dibs at Duke star Cooper Flagg, the best prospect in the class.

The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets all had the best odds for having the worst records in the campaign, but none of them got within the top three. Charlotte at No. 4 was the closest.

Jumping was the Philadelphia 76ers to No. 3, but Flagg will not form a triumvirate with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The San Antonio Spurs also rose once again to No. 2, but Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Co. will also not have Flagg.

Instead, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison gets an instant shot at redemption by pairing Flagg with Anthony Davis and potentially Kyrie Irving.

Here are some of the best reactions on social media following the reveal:

Mavericks win NBA Draft Lottery and Cooper Flagg sweepstakes with 1.8% odds originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Dallas Mavericks have hit the post-Luka Doncic jackpot.

They’ll have their chance to draft Doncic’s potential successor — Duke star Cooper Flagg — as the new face of the franchise after winning the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery on Monday despite entering with just a 1.8% chance of doing so.

Flagg — a 6-foot-9 forward who averaged 19.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists in his lone season with the Blue Devils — is the consensus No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft.

The 18-year-old from Maine is expected to be join a Dallas team that had a tumultuous season. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison orchestrated one of the most stunning trades in NBA history by dealing Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and other pieces. Davis then suffered an injury in his first game with Dallas, causing him to miss the majority of the regular season. The team then lost Kyrie Irving for the season after he suffered a torn ACL.

The Mavs finished 39-43 and were eliminated in the play-in tournament.

The ping-pong balls then bounced the Mavericks way in stunning fashion as they won the lottery for the first time in franchise history.

The Mavs winning the lottery drew a wide range of reactions on social media, including LeBron James posting a laughing emoji. Others complained of NBA conspiracy theories, with some joking about Harrison and the Mavs trading the pick to the Lakers for Bronny James.

The Jazz, Wizards and Hornets entered with the best odds of winning the lottery, each with a 14% chance. That was followed by the New Orleans Pelicans (12.5%), Philadelphia 76ers (10.5%) and Brooklyn Nets (9%).

The San Antonio Spurs — already with back-to-back rookies of the year in Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle — landed the second pick in the draft and are likely to add Rutgers guard Dylan Harper.

The Sixers, whose pick was top-six protected as part of a previous trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder, got the No. 3 pick in the draft. The Hornets dropped to fourth, the Jazz to fifth and the Wizards to sixth.

Those teams will likely select from a group of top-five projected prospects that includes Ace Bailey of Rutgers, V.J. Edgecombe of Baylor and Tre Johnson of Texas.

The NBA draft will be held on June 25 in New York.

What is the NBA draft order?

Here is the full draft order for the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft:

1. Dallas

2. San Antonio

3. Philadelphia

4. Charlotte

5. Utah

6. Washington

7. New Orleans

8. Brooklyn

9. Toronto

10. Houston

11. Portland

12. Chicago

13. Atlanta (via Sacramento)

14. San Antonio (via Atlanta)

15. Oklahoma City (via Miami)

16. Orlando

17. Minnesota (via Detroit)

18. Washington (via Memphis)

19. Brooklyn (via Milwaukee)

20. Miami (via Golden State)

21. Utah (via Minnesota)

22. Atlanta (via Los Angeles Lakers)

23. Indiana

24. Oklahoma City (via Los Angeles Clippers)

25. Orlando (via Denver)

26. Brooklyn (via New York)

27. Brooklyn (via Houston)

28. Boston

29. Phoenix (via Cleveland)

30. Los Angeles Clippers (via Oklahoma City)

How does the NBA draft lottery work?

Teams in the lottery need more than just a lucky bounce to get the top pick. They need four lucky bounces.

A series of 1,000 four-numeral lottery combinations are divided among the 14 teams that failed to qualify for the postseason, including those who were eliminated during the play-in tournament.

Each team is assigned a collection of four-number combinations, with the teams owing the three worst regular-season records in the league receiving the most with 140 each. The number of combinations assigned to the remaining lottery teams decreases gradually based on record.

Those combinations are used to determine the first four picks in the draft during the lottery. The remaining lottery picks (5 through 14) are then assigned in inverse order based on regular-season records, meaning the team with the worst record in the league can pick no later than fifth.    

Sixers get some light at end of tunnel, land No. 3 pick in draft lottery  originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There’s suddenly some light at the end of the Sixers’ tunnel.

Following an injury-ruined, 24-58 season, the Sixers snagged the No. 3 pick in Monday night’s NBA draft lottery. The Spurs got the No. 2 pick and the Mavs have No. 1. 

The final results from the 2025 #NBADraftLottery presented by State Farm:

1. Mavericks
2. Spurs
3. 76ers
4. Hornets
5. Jazz
6. Wizards
7. Pelicans
8. Nets
9. Raptors
10. Rockets
11. Trail Blazers
12. Bulls
13. Hawks
14. Spurs

— NBA (@NBA) May 12, 2025

The Sixers entered the lottery with a 63.9 percent chance of keeping a top-six pick and a 10.6 percent chance of landing at No. 3. 

Any selection below No. 6 would have conveyed to the Thunder as a condition of the Sixers’ 2020 trade with Oklahoma City. The Sixers’ first-rounder will now be top-four protected for 2026 and, if necessary, 2027. In the unlikely event the Sixers have not conveyed a first-round pick to OKC by 2027, they’ll owe the Thunder their second-rounder that year. 

In addition to No. 3, the Sixers hold the No. 35 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

No one expected a tense, meaningful lottery night for the Sixers at the start of the 2024-25 season. Led by three All-Stars the prior year in Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Paul George, the Sixers believed a championship was possible. They set an all-time NBA record by using 54 different starting lineups. 

Who might the Sixers take at No. 3? While Cooper Flagg and Dylan Harper are widely projected to be the first two picks, there’s much less agreement among experts after that. 

Sixers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey’s philosophy is to draft the best player available, though it would be surprising if the team selected a center with superstar big man Joel Embiid on the team. It’s also notable that, if the Sixers re-sign Quentin Grimes in restricted free agency, the team will have several guards 6-foot-4 or under in key roles. One of them is 21-year-old Jared McCain, who represented the Sixers at the lottery. 

At the moment, Baylor guard V.J. Edgecombe, Rutgers wing Ace Bailey, Texas guard Tre Johnson, Duke wing Kon Knueppel and Illinois guard Kasparas Jakucionis are prospects generally viewed in the No. 3 through No. 10 range.

The Sixers have not held a lottery pick since 2018. The team drafted Mikal Bridges at No. 10 but traded him to the Suns in exchange for No. 16 pick Zhaire Smith and a 2021 first-rounder. 

Has a city with an NBA and WNBA team won the draft lottery in the same year? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Dallas basketball has the potential to be set up for the foreseeable future.

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery delivered a twist, predictable or not, that saw the three worst teams in the league — the Utah Jazz, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards — not rewarded for their failures.

Instead, the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks surpassed them to form the top three. In the end, Dallas landed the first pick and the chance to take Duke star prospect Cooper Flagg, a versatile forward who can change any team for the better.

The Mavericks’ luck — conspiracy theories and all — timed well with its WNBA counterpart. The Dallas Wings had also won the draft lottery earlier in the year, putting them in pole position to take UConn star Paige Bueckers, which they did.

Following the NBA and WNBA lotteries, Dallas is set to be the second city to draft first overall in the same year. Of course, the Mavericks could still trade the pick, but that won’t be known until late June when the draft is held.

In 2003, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Cleveland Rockers became the first. The Cavs infamously took LeBron James, while the Rockers selected LaToya Thomas before folding operations the season after due to ownership issues.

The Mavericks endured a turbulent year full of injuries, but the main story involved Luka Doncic. Before the February trade deadline, Doncic was stunningly dealt to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.

Dallas fans understandably had all sorts of feelings — sadness, anger, anguish and insert any other emotion here. Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison held multiple press conferences — publicly and privately — to attempt to justify his decision.

Mavericks fans rightfully didn’t want to hear it after losing a drafted star they fell in love with, off the heels of an NBA Finals run, among other memories.

But Harrison now has the opportunity to take Flagg and form an intriguing trio with Anthony Davis, Kyrie Irving and more if the rest of the roster is filled out properly and health isn’t as unfavorable.

Whether Harrison is ever vindicated for the trade is unknown. Perhaps it could be if he’s still in the front office and Flagg helps deliver a championship.

Bueckers has the same opportunity on the women’s side, as the Wings are seeking a fourth championship having been on a drought since 2008. Their other two wins include 2003 and 2006.

Not many cities have the luxury of a young men’s and women’s basketball star embarking on parallel journeys. But after the seasons both the Wings and Mavericks had, at least the future is bright.

Latest on Tatum's scary leg injury late in Celtics' Game 4 loss to Knicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jayson Tatum’s brilliant performance at Madison Square Garden on Monday had a nightmare ending for the Boston Celtics.

Tatum suffered a painful right lower leg injury with 2:58 remaining in the fourth quarter of Boston’s Game 4 loss to the New York Knicks. The injury was non-contact, as Tatum went down on his own while diving for a loose ball.

The Celtics star appeared to be in significant pain and couldn’t put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the floor. ESPN’s cameras showed Tatum being transported through the MSG tunnel in a wheelchair.

Jayson Tatum was emotional while leaving the game in a wheelchair from a non-contact injury. pic.twitter.com/ZtUGRedUzg

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 13, 2025

Tatum will get an MRI on his right leg Tuesday, according to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, who called Tatum’s ailment a “lower body injury” after the game.

“Obviously you’re always worried about someone’s health, so the fact that he had to be carried off — he’s the type of guy that gets right up,” Mazzulla told reporters. “He didn’t, and we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is, but it’s tough to watch a guy like him get carried off like that.”

The injury put a damper on a terrific night for Tatum, who contributed 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks in nearly 40 minutes of play.

In the short term, the Celtics face a 3-1 series deficit and will have to win Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday without their best player to keep their season alive. But Tatum’s injury, if it’s as severe as it looked, could have significant long-term ramifications for a Celtics team that’s already deep in the luxury tax.

Wednesday’s Game 5 is set for 7 p.m. ET, and in the meantime, all eyes will be on Tatum as the team awaits the results of his MRI on Tuesday.

‘Rigged': NBA fans react to Mavericks winning draft lottery, Cooper Flagg originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

From trading away a franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Dallas Mavericks have been rewarded.

In a stunning moment, the Mavericks won the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Monday despite having just a 1.8% chance at doing so…the fourth-worst odds. Dallas now has first dibs at Duke star Cooper Flagg, the best prospect in the class.

The Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets all had the best odds for having the worst records in the campaign, but none of them got within the top three. Charlotte at No. 4 was the closest.

Jumping was the Philadelphia 76ers to No. 3, but Flagg will not form a triumvirate with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. The San Antonio Spurs also rose once again to No. 2, but Victor Wembanyama, De’Aaron Fox and Co. will also not have Flagg.

Instead, Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison gets an instant shot at redemption by pairing Flagg with Anthony Davis and potentially Kyrie Irving.

Here are some of the best reactions on social media following the reveal:

Kings' 2025 first-round pick lands at No. 13, conveys to Hawks in draft lottery originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Kings won’t have a 2025 first-round draft pick unless they acquire one later.

In the 2025 NBA draft lottery conducted on Monday in Chicago, the Kings landed at No. 13, meaning their pick conveys to the Atlanta Hawks to complete the 2022 Kevin Huerter trade.

Sacramento’s only chance of keeping its first-round pick was if it jumped into the top four. But that scenario had a 3.8 percent chance of happening.

The Kings, who finished the 2024-25 NBA season with a 40-42 record, entered Monday with a 92.9 percent chance of remaining at No. 13 and a 3.3 percent chance of falling to No. 14.

The pick the Kings traded to the Hawks was top-12 protected, but Sacramento only had a chance at No. 1 through No. 4 and No. 13 or No. 14.

The Kings do have a second-round pick, slotted at No. 42.

Sacramento was the No. 9 seed and qualified for the Western Conference play-in tournament but saw its season end with a blowout home loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

The franchise immediately shifted into offseason mode, parting ways with general manager Monte McNair and replacing him with Scott Perry. A short time later, Doug Christie’s interim head coach tag was removed, making him the permanent coach heading into the 2025-26 season.

Perry and Christie now have to figure out how to get the Kings back to the playoffs, with plenty of roster decisions ahead of them.

A first-round draft pick would have been a valuable trade asset for a team hoping to compete, but Perry won’t have that at his disposal this summer.

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Celtics taking ‘us against the world' mindset into pivotal road Game 4 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Celtics need to win Game 4 on the road in front of a rabid Madison Square Garden crowd to avoid falling into a 3-1 hole against the New York Knicks in their second-round playoff series.

On paper, that seems like a tough spot. But recent history suggests this is exactly where the Celtics want to be.

Boston won 80.5 percent of its road games during the regular seasons (33-8), good for a new franchise record and a better win percentage than it had at TD Garden (23-18 record, 68.3 percent). After blowing 20-point leads at home in Games 1 and 2 of this series, the Celtics turned into a juggernaut at MSG in Game 3, rolling to a 115-93 win over the Knicks to bring the series to 2-1.

So, what makes the C’s so effective on the road? Veteran guard Jrue Holiday was asked about his team’s mindset Monday ahead of Game 4 in New York.

“It’s us against the world,” Holiday told reporters. “We kind of embrace that mentality, just knowing that in the arena, it’s going to be (hostile). We know in a lot of places, we do have fans that travel with us, and we also try to respect that, knowing that and going into somebody else’s house. We want to represent our city as well.”

The Celtics have had a target on their backs all season as the reigning NBA champions and certainly don’t have many fans outside Boston in their corner against an underdog Knicks team that hasn’t reached the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000.

But it shouldn’t be surprising that a group coached by Joe Mazzulla — who actively seeks out adversity and said his team needs to “tap into (its) darkness” after Game 3 — is embracing an “us versus them” mindset.

“You wouldn’t want to be in any other position as a competitor,” guard Payton Pritchard said after Game 3. “This is the best moment you can be in, down 2-0, backs against the wall. You just bring it.”

While the Celtics brought it Saturday, they should be prepared for a counterpunch from the Knicks, who shot just 5 for 25 from 3-point range in Game 3 and likely will be better in Game 4 in front of their home crowd.

But Holiday and C’s plan on playing with the same sense of urgency on the road that they have all season.

“I think that everybody on this team felt the same way about the first two games,” he added. “So I don’t think that was needed to be said. I think we all had the same type of energy. We all knew what was at stake.”

Tip-off for Game 4 is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, and NBC Sports Boston’s coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. ET with Celtics Pregame Live.