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**Celtics Rally Around Injured Tatum Ahead of Crucial Game 6 Against Knicks**

**NEW YORK –** The Boston Celtics face a must-win Game 6 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden tonight, aiming to avoid elimination in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The team is drawing inspiration from star Jayson Tatum, who recently underwent successful surgery on his right Achilles tendon after suffering the season-ending injury in Game 4.

Tatum, 27, was released from a New York hospital and was able to meet with his teammates at the team’s hotel on Thursday. Sources say the players avoided basketball talk to just check in on their friend. While a huge blow to Boston’s championship hopes, Tatum’s teammates are determined to fight for him.

“It sucks to see someone go down like that who doesn’t deserve it,” Celtics guard Sam Hauser said. “But he wouldn’t want more than us to just keep winning. We saw him yesterday. He seems to be in good spirits. Definitely thinking about him and trying to get some wins for him.”

The injury, similar to Kevin Durant’s 2019 Achilles tear, is expected to sideline Tatum for approximately nine months.

If the Celtics can pull off a victory tonight, they would force a Game 7 back in Boston on Monday. They face an uphill battle, attempting to become only the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit.

Without Tatum’s scoring prowess, Boston will need increased contributions from Jaylen Brown and may need to utilize smaller lineups to find success against a determined Knicks team.

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