Jayson Tatum, pictured here in 2025, will return to the floor on Friday.
Jayson Tatum, pictured here in 2025, will return to the floor on Friday.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
Two hundred and ninety-eight days later, Jayson Tatum is back.
The Celtics superstar will return to the lineup against the Mavericks on Friday night, a little less than 10 months after rupturing his Achilles in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Knicks.
A league source told the Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach that Tatum will be on a minutes restriction on Friday night (and likely for much of the rest of the regular season) as Boston looks to slowly bring its star back into the fold.
Plenty of questions remain: How much will Tatum play in his debut? How will he re-integrate into a team that’s undergone so much change in his absence? What does a post-Achilles Tatum look like?
We’ll start to get some answers to those questions shortly after tip-off at TD Garden, where Tatum is sure to get a huge ovation when he’s introduced.
There’s already plenty of buzz around the Garden, where we’ll be tracking Tatum’s long-awaited return to the court throughout the night. Follow along with us.
Washburn: Tatum’s return could be a game-changer for these Celtics
The Celtics released their injury report for Friday’s matchup with the Mavericks about three hours earlier than usual, and one word change created waves around the NBA: “out” to “questionable.”
For the past several months, the Celtics have listed Jayson Tatum as out with right Achilles repair. The one definitive sign that he would return was the adjustment to questionable on early Thursday afternoon.
Tatum’s potential return has been discussed for weeks, and his recent documentary on his rehabilitation has only fueled speculation that he would come back this season instead of waiting for 2026-27 like injured brethren Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton.
With the Celtics (41-21) the No. 2 seed and needing a boost to cement that seed in the final 20 games, Tatum’s return comes at a perfect time, although there will be an expected grace period before he returns to vintage form.
Read Gary Washburn’s full column here.
Finn: No way Tatum’s return could be a bad thing for the Celtics
It’s so frustrating, and all too common, when hot-take culture overrides common sense, and our brains are too sports-radio-addled to notice.
I suppose I need to be more specific here, since the above applies to pretty much any sports conversation/debate these days. So here’s the specific: There is no universe in which Jayson Tatum’s return to the Celtics this season is a bad thing.
If he feels comfortable that he has overcome the physical and mental hurdles of recovering from a torn Achilles tendon suffered in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals last May, and his repaired left wheel feels trustworthy, and the doctors give him the thumbs-up . . . well, of course you bring him back this season, to a team that has fared stunningly well without him and still would benefit greatly from his wide array of skills.
Don’t overthink it or underthink it — just do it.
Read Chad Finn’s full column here.
Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com.