There are times when Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum isn’t sure he can return to the games that were suddenly taken away from him last season.
It makes every moment he experiences when he returns as special as he has experienced so far in his basketball career.
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He returned on Friday night at TD Garden for a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, marking his season debut nearly 10 months after undergoing surgery to rupture his right Achilles tendon.
“I’m really grateful,” Tatum said. “Just getting back out there and playing basketball again. It reminds me of everything I’ve been through over the past 10 months, and the fact that I was able to play today is a really big win for me.”
It’s also a reminder that the player who helped Boston win the 2024 NBA championship, became a five-time All-NBA selection and an eight-time All-Star, needs time to fully come back to himself.
Tatum scored 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists on 6-of-16 shooting in 27 sometimes rusty minutes. After being injured in Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinals loss to New York in May, he had five and six-minute bursts in Game 1.
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Tatum, who turns 28 this week, said his return to the court will be a home game. He delivered on that promise.
He missed his first six shots, but at one point made five in a row.
“I dream about it day and night,” Tatum said. “The anticipation. The crowd. It’s been 42 1/2 weeks since I’ve played in the NBA. Just trying to get up to speed and everything…I felt like I might be a step behind, or maybe too fast. But once I started moving a little bit, the game started to slow down.”
Tatum missed his first shot of the night, missing a jumper behind the rim on Boston’s second possession.
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He made his first contribution to the stat sheet on the Celtics’ next possession – setting up an alley-oop from big man Neemias Queta.
Tatum attempted his second shot of the game — a 26-footer from the top of the key — and returned to the bench for his first rest.
At the end of the first quarter, Tatum briefly left the court with coach Nick Sang. But he returned to the bench in time to rejoin the lineup for the start of the second quarter.
Even with an uneven start, he continued to find his teammates, assisted again and actively screened to initiate the attack.
“On the other hand, he’s a better person and I know better players. That’s all you can ask for,” Celtics coach Mazzulla said.
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After Tatum was open and completed a dunk, the fans stood up in anticipation. Instead, he got hung up on the rim, and about a few minutes later he was giggling as he jogged off the court during a timeout.
With 1:11 left before halftime, he dunked on a missed three-pointer by Payton Pritchard, finally breaking his scoreless streak. After Dallas missed a shot, he followed up with a corner 3-pointer.
Several Mavericks players took time out at halftime to welcome Tatum back. That included Klay Thompson, who hugged Tatum before the second quarter. In 2020, Thompson tore his Achilles tendon while recovering from a torn ACL in 2019.
Mazzula said Tatum’s return has been in the works for weeks.
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“It’s been an ongoing conversation since day one,” Mazzula said. “Throughout the whole process, you believe in this journey. I believe in him. We always knew he would be back this year.”
Tatum underwent surgery on May 13 and returned to the court after 298 days.
The Celtics have 19 games left in the regular season, 11 of which are played at TD Garden, and they hope Tatum can perform better in the playoffs. Boston is second in the Eastern Conference.
“I don’t think any athlete thinks they’re going to get hurt. At least, I don’t,” Tatum said. “When this happened, it hit me hard. It made me rethink a lot of things. I had an idea of where my career was going to go. But overnight it changed… The things I wanted to accomplish were still in front of me.
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“I’m really happy that I’ve gotten to this point.”
This is a development story. Please check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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