While the Boston Celtics, their fan base, and the basketball world await Jayson Tatum's MRI results, the optics of seeing a non-contact injury after he pushed off his right leg in pursuit of a loose ball and fell to the floor, writhing in pain, painted a doomsday picture.
If Tatum's MRI confirms the worst fears surrounding the situation, the NBA's reigning champions, a franchise with a chance to usher in the league's next dynasty, face an uncertain future likely filled with an immediate and significant roster makeover.
"The loss is the loss. More importantly, it's Jayson I'm worried about," said Al Horford after the Celtics lost Game 4, 121-113, putting them in a 3-1 hole in their series against the New York Knicks.
The latter is ecstatic about being on the verge of vanquishing a team that swept them 4-0 in the regular season in convincing fashion and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. However, the human element of this is what matters most.
Knicks praying for the best for Jayson Tatum
After pouring in 39 points and dishing out 12 assists, Jalen Brunson interrupted his first question at the podium post-game.
"[My] thoughts and prayers are with him," the Knicks' star guard voiced. [I'm] just praying for the best."
"I'm praying for him," expressed Karl-Anthony Towns from New York's locker room. "If you saw me on the court, I just wanted to pray for him. It looked bad. So, prayers with him and his family. You never want to see anybody in the NBA get hurt like that and [I] hope it's something minor and not something major."
OG Anunoby, who had 20 points and scooped up the loose ball Tatum was pursuing, breaking away for a dunk that extended the hosts' lead to 113-104 with 3:03 left, "didn't see what happened. [But] I hope he's okay. I'm not sure what happened. I really hope he's okay."
Mitchell Robinson has battled injuries over the last few seasons. After suiting up 59 times in the 2022-23 campaign, he played 31 games last year and 17 this one as he worked his way back from a foot injury.
Robinson, who had a massive impact on the glass in Monday's matchup, grabbing a game-high five offensive rebounds, is unfortunately all too familiar with the mental and physical effects of rehabbing to return with the ability to perform at one's standard.
"I hope [he] is alright," said the Knicks' center. "I've been dealing with injuries almost my whole career, so it's like, I really hope he's alright. You don't want to see a guy go through stuff like that."