Jayson Tatum made a triumphant return to the Boston Celtics on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks.
That's the good news.
The bad news is that center Nikola Vucevic was forced to leave the contest in the second quarter after suffering a right ring finger fracture.
The Celtics announced that the two-time All-Star underwent surgery on Saturday.
"Celtics announce Vucevic's surgery on his right ring finger and say he'll be reevaluated in 3 to 4 weeks," Celtics on SI's John Karalis posted on Bluesky.
Celtics announce Vucevic's surgery on his right ring finger and say he'll be reevaluated in 3 to 4 weeks.
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— John Karalis (@johnkaralis.com) March 7, 2026 at 10:14 AM
Vucevic has come off the bench in 11 of his first 12 games with Boston since being acquired in a deal with the Chicago Bulls at the NBA Trade Deadline in February but is a crucial part of the rotation as the Celtics get ready for another playoff run.
The 35-year-old has averaged 10.4 points, 7.2 rebounds and 21.7 minutes per contest in his first dozen games with Boston.
The best-case scenario is that Vucevic returns healthy in four weeks, which would get him back in time for the last five regular season contests.
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