There are a lot of positives since Jayson Tatum’s return to play in Boston. The Celtics are 6-2 in the games he has played and he scored 20+ points in five games and has a couple of double-doubles.
Then there are nights like Sunday, when he shot 6-of-16 in a loss to Minnesota. After the game, he talked about the frustrating process of finding his way back and having off days, via [Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe](https://www.bostonglobe.com/2026/03/22/sports/celtics-loss-minnesota-closes-gap-with-knicks-playoff-chase/).
_“It’s tough in the moment, right? You try not to think about it. You just want to be Jason Tatum and feel like yourself again. I’m not Superman, so, obviously, it’s going to take some time. I think the next day I can give myself a little more grace over certain things, but in the moment, I mean, it’s frustrating.”_
While Tatum has put up numbers, his efficiency has not yet returned. He’s shooting 38.8% overall, 29.3% from 3-point range, and has yet to shoot over 50% in any of his games. That said, he’s also grabbing 8.9 rebounds a night and has contributed to winning, but he is finding his role next to Jaylen Brown.
Speaking to NBC before the game, Brown said communication between him and Tatum is key for the team.
Brown adapting as a leader for Celtics
Jaylen Brown joins Basketball Night in America to discuss postseason preparation, his spiritual growth, and the shift in mindset as a leader for Boston ahead of Jayson Tatum’s return.
While the No. 2 seed Celtics had been looking up the standings at catching shorthanded Detroit for the No. 1 seed, they had better focus on wins to keep the No. 3 seed Knicks at bay — New York is just half a game back for that second seed. Boston is going to need Tatum for that.
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