Jayson Tatum has given the Boston Celtics an instant spark in his long-awaited return from a torn Achilles, but the star is still getting used to one change.
During his second game back, Tatum scored 20 points in Sunday's 109-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tatum has played 27 minutes in each contest as Boston eases back the 28-year-old.
After the game, via NBC Sports Boston, Tatum admitted that he's not a fan of the depreciated playing time.
"Toughest part for me is being on a minutes restriction," Tatum said. "I mean, that (expletive) sucks, quite frankly. But that's the toughest part. Playing shorter stints and sitting for a long time than obviously I normally am, but I understand that."
Inserted right back into Boston's starting lineup, Tatum opened Sunday's game with a 12-point flurry in the first quarter. He took a seat with 3:19 remaining in the opening period and didn't return until the second quarter's 6:55 mark.
Tatum missed his next six field-goal attempts before getting another prolonged rest nearly midway through the third quarter. He helped seal a road victory with seven more points late in the fourth quarter.
Boston has cruised to consecutive double-digit wins since Tatum's return. The six-time All-Star credited his teammates for aiding a "seamless" transition and settled into a more customary routine Sunday after Friday's emotional return at TD Garden.
"Today felt a lot more normal, just from a preparation standpoint," Tatum said. "And mentally, the other day was such a big deal. Obviously home game, city of Boston, I had a lot of family in town. Today just kind of felt like getting back in the flow of things, and that felt good."
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