Jayson Tatum, in his first game back following Achilles surgery last May, gave the TD Garden crowd something else to cheer about with a follow slam in the second quarter against Dallas.
Jayson Tatum, in his first game back following Achilles surgery last May, gave the TD Garden crowd something else to cheer about with a follow slam in the second quarter against Dallas.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
Last summer, when the early stages of Jayson Tatum’s rehabilitation from a ruptured Achilles tendon consisted of little more than wiggling the toes on his right foot, Celtics physical therapist and athletic trainer Nick Sang started preparing for the long road ahead.
He contacted more than 20 of the world’s top doctors, including Achilles specialists and others who focus on helping people recover from gruesome injuries such as Tatum’s.
Sang and the Celtics medical staff then crafted a detailed plan that would hopefully help Tatum return to being one of the best basketball players in the world.
The step-by-step script, which was presented to Boston’s front office, included almost everything, with one seemingly notable omission: a targeted return date.
Jayson Tatum shares a moment with his son, Jayson "Deuce" Tatum Jr., before the start of the Mavericks game Friday.
Jayson Tatum shares a moment with his son, Jayson "Deuce" Tatum Jr., before the start of the Mavericks game Friday.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
League sources said it was made clear that Tatum would play a game solely when he checked every box of his rehabilitation, and that there would be no timeline for that. Just over a week ago, sources said, Tatum cleared the final hurdle and was essentially told that once he was mentally ready, he could play in an NBA game.
That all led to Friday night, with Tatum the final Celtic to exit the tunnel before the game against the Mavericks, his left index finger in the air, the crowd erupting as if he had just hit a game-winning shot in the Finals.
“It’s been a long journey,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said before his team’s 120-100 win, “and the culmination of a new journey begins today.”
It was a successful season debut for Tatum, who shook off a rocky start that included an airball and a missed dunk and finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in 27 minutes.
He received a standing ovation from the crowd and a hug from Mazzulla when he checked out with five minutes left in the fourth quarter, with Boston in control.
But the good news about Tatum’s return was tempered by perhaps Boston’s first significant injury of this season. Backup center Nikola Vucevic, who was acquired from the Bulls last month, left the game after fracturing his right ring finger and did not return.
Cooper Flagg, the Newport, Maine, native and No. 1 overall pick of last June’s draft, received a roar when he was introduced in the starting lineup from the many fans from this region who made plans to see him in this game months ago, long before the night belonged to Tatum. Flagg had 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.
There is a dry-erase board in Boston’s locker room that lists players’ pregame shooting times. And there was one notable addition Friday: “5:30—JT.”
A good portion of the lower bowl at TD Garden was filled to watch Tatum complete his pregame workout hours before tipoff, with white No. 0 Tatum T-shirts draped over every seat.
Tatum received a loud ovation when he walked through the tunnel afterward. Out of sight from the crowd and flanked by medical staffers in a dark hallway, he then did jumping exercises before heading to the locker room.
About 90 minutes later, longtime public-address voice Eddie Palladino added something extra to Tatum’s introduction in the starting lineup.
Then, at long last, the game began, and Tatum looked like someone playing his first competitive basketball game in 10 months.
A league source said that Tatum will be on a minutes restriction, likely for the rest of the regular season, with the goal of preparing him for a larger workload in the playoffs.
Tatum passed the ball a few times before probing along the left baseline for a jumper that was long. He found some success feeding Neemias Queta at the rim, but his second shot, a 3-pointer from the top of the key, was an airball.
When Tatum checked out after his first six-minute stint, the score was tied at 9.
His second stint was worse. He missed two more 3-pointers, mostly operating along the perimeter and not really testing his surgically repaired foot. Then he finally rumbled down the lane and went up for a one-handed dunk. The crowd began to buzz in anticipation, but the ball was swallowed by the front of the rim, and the crowd gasped after the missed attempt.
A Celtics fan welcomes back Jayson Tatum during first-quarter action Friday.
A Celtics fan welcomes back Jayson Tatum during first-quarter action Friday.Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff
It was surprising to see Tatum check back in for another second-quarter stint, bringing him up to 14 first-half minutes. He had trouble keeping up with the Mavericks’ Khris Middleton on a three-point play, but finally cracked the scoring column when he soared in for a putback dunk on a missed 3-pointer by Payton Pritchard. Tatum held onto the rim for a bit to ensure a soft landing.
Moments later, he swirled and hit a step-back 3-pointer from the left corner. Seemingly aware that he needed the boost, fans broke into chants of “JT! JT!” That flurry was part of an 11-2 Celtics run that gave them a 58-53 halftime lead.
Despite some bumpy moments, Tatum went to the break with 5 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Once the third quarter began, any lingering cobwebs were knocked off. Tatum converted a driving layup and a midrange pull-up before draining a 3-pointer from the left corner, his fifth made shot in a row after the 0-for-6 start. Then he found a cutting Jaylen Brown for a layup to stretch Boston’s lead back to 70-64.
The Celtics led, 90-80, when Tatum checked back in to start the fourth quarter and received a hug from former Celtics teammate and injured Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving.
Tatum had a chance to put an exclamation point on his night when Brown threw up an alley-oop on a fast-break, but Tatum was unable to get there for a dunk and missed the layup. He ensured there’d be no sour taste, however, when he drilled a 3-pointer on Boston’s next possession to stretch the lead to 106-87.
Before the game, Mazzulla said he has essentially known for months that Tatum would be back this season, but he also compared his return to a kind of midseason acquisition.
“It’s like, ‘Hey, we have a group of guys that have done a great job up until this point, and now we make an addition, and now we have a chance to be even better,’ ” Mazzulla said. “And how do we do that as a team? And so any time you have opportunities to be able to do that, I think it’s fun. And that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.