In a major shift of events for the Boston Celtics, their superstar Jayson Tatum officially returned to the hardwood on Friday night to play against the Dallas Mavericks. His arrival back on the basketball court came after he’d suffered a brutal ruptured Achilles injury last postseason, resulting in surgery and grueling rehab that sidelined him for over half of this season.
In his return, his team attempted to bounce back after recently falling to the Charlotte Hornets. They’d face a Mavs team in rebuild mode that features the No. 1 draft pick Cooper Flagg, a Duke alum just like Tatum.
Flagg drew loud cheers upon his arrival on the court, and as expected, Tatum also received a raucous greeting upon his introduction. With the home crowd amped up at Boston’s TD Garden, their star player was back, and despite some initial shooting and dunking issues, seemed to be returning to form.
The first half featured a slow start for the NBA champion and multi-time All-Star, as he was 0-for-5, including missed shots and a dunk attempt blocked by the rim.
However, he eventually made up for that missed dunk, as his first points came from a putback dunk following teammate Payton Pritchard’s miss. Tatum hung on the rim for a bit before landing on one leg rather than both, showing he’s clearly taking it easy with his injury.
He’d later follow that dunk up by hitting a sweet three-pointer from the side corner, after putting a move on his defender to create a more open shot attempt.
Tatum would continue to make shots, in addition to dishing out assists and grabbing rebounds to help his team take down the Mavericks. Heading into the fourth quarter, his teammate Jaylen Brown liked what he was seeing from him.
“I think he’s doing good. Taking it one game at a time. Great to have him back out here,” Brown said in a sideline interview during ESPN’s presentation.
As of that fourth quarter, Tatum was on triple-double watch due to his impressive return performance. However, he finished the game with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists. He shot 6-of-16, including going 3-of-8 on his three-point shot attempts.
Ahead of the big season debut, the Celtics also announced there would be no minutes restriction for their superstar. He played 27 minutes before getting a seat on the bench as Boston had the game in hand. They claimed a 120-110 victory in Tatum’s season debut.
It will take time for him to readjust to NBA play fully, but his return was a welcome sight for Celtics teammates and fans. They’re currently in second place in the Eastern Conference. With Tatum’s skill set back in the mix, they’ve immediately become a scary contender for other teams heading towards the postseason.
For more about the Boston Celtics and the NBA, visit Newsweek Sports.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.