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BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 19: Jayson Tatum #0 of the Boston Celtics looks on during the first half of the game against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden on January 19, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are at home tonight to take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Celtics, winners of four in a row, look to make a strong push toward the top seed in the Eastern Conference after it was announced that Detroit Pistons starCade Cunningham would miss extended time due to a collapsed lung.
With Boston quickly getting reacclimated to having Tatum in the lineup, there is real expectation for the franchise to close the regular season strong and perhaps dethrone Detroit as the No. 1 seed. Winning tonight against a Timberwolves team without star guardAnthony Edwards is a strong step in achieving that.
Celtics star Jayson Tatum’s Status Revealed for Sunday’s Game
Thanks to the shining play of star swingmanJaylen Brown, who remains a top candidate in the NBA MVP race, Boston is in a promising position as it currently stands.
Winning Sunday would deliver the team its fifth win in a row and put it just 3.5 games behind the East-leading Pistons. Minnesota is fresh off a home loss at the hands of the middling Portland Trail Blazers. The Timberwolves will look to come out with some extra intensity tonight to maintain a healthy distance between them and the seventh-seeded Phoenix Suns in the West. The Celtics must match that effort and intensity and take care of business in a game they should absolutely win.
The good news for Boston is that Tatum is once again set to play. Tonight’s contest will mark the 28-year-old’s eighth game back from injury. Slowly but surely, he is regaining form and getting his legs back under him.
Jaylen Brown is probable for tomorrow’s game with a left quad contusion
Nikola Vucevic remains out
Jayson Tatum continues to be available for Celtics
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) March 21, 2026
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Tatum has looked mostly impressive ever since returning from a rehab process that went on for nearly 300 days. The amount of mental stamina it took for the perennial All-Star to get back on the court is beyond description. What may be even more remarkable is how relatively quickly he has picked up steam.
Tatum Continues to Progress as Boston Gathers Momentum
Tatum made his triumphant return to the hardwood in a March 6 home game against the Dallas Mavericks. In only 27 minutes — which one could argue is quite a handful for someone who hadn’t played in roughly 10 months — the former champion scored 15 points and cashed in three of his eight attempts from beyond the arc. The way the crowd erupted each time Tatum saw one go through the net would convince one that he was scoring clutch buckets in the final minutes of an NBA Finals game.
Tatum finally hit a bit of a rough patch in his last game, but that was kind of long-anticipated. It was almost like he was making it look too easy with how he played in his previous games. He had to stumble at some point.
In Friday’s win over Memphis, Tatum registered just 13 points on 15 shot attempts, nine of those which were 3s, of which only two were cashed. On the season so far, albeit a small sample size, Tatum is still shooting below 40% from the floor and below 30% from 3-point range. But time will certainly do him justice. He’ll get those splits way up sooner than later.
On another note, Tatum has seen at least 30 minutes of action in four consecutive games. That speaks volumes to the speed in which he has regained confidence in playing heavier minutes.
With the Celtics aiming to gather a strong win streak, Tatum’s performance will definitely be tested. The push for the East’s top seed is some good mental practice before the postseason. After all, what matters most is Tatum starts looking like the perennial All-NBA forward again.