Boston Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum settled in and looked like his old self as he played in an NBA game for the first time in more than 42 weeks on Friday night after last year’s Achilles injury in the playoffs.
Tatum went down in May of last year, and speculation ensued about when, or if, he would return in time for the playoffs this year. With 20 games left in the regular season, he’s back just 10 months after the injury.
He scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for a double-double in a 120–100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks at the TD Garden. Tatum played 27 minutes and shot 37.5% from the field.
“It’s been a long time coming just to get to this point,” Tatum told reporters afterward.
“Nights and days I dreamed about this moment and anticipation, the crowd. It’s been 42-and-a-half weeks since I played in an NBA game, so just trying to get caught up on the speed and everything.”
“I just kind of felt like I was a step off or moving too fast. But the game started to slow down as I just kind of relaxed a little bit,” he added.
Tatum got cleared to practice in February as he worked his way back to game action. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla credited Tatum for his approach to surgery immediately after the injury and his rehab to return before the playoffs.
“The seriousness with which you go get surgery,” Mazzulla told reporters before the game.
“The seriousness in which you start attacking the rehab process, not just from a physical, but a mental and emotional standpoint. Because of the decision he made right away and because of the way he attacked it, really because of the people around him, I knew he was going to do everything he could to get to a decision to where he could do this.”
Tatum grew comfortable on the court as time went on, and he had a quick win with a lob pass for a dunk by center Neemias Queta early in the first quarter. It wasn’t all smooth, though, for Tatum as he missed a dunk and missed his first six shots overall.
“I still got a long way to go, but this was a really good step,” Tatum said of his play overall.
That said, Tatum rejoining the Celtics (42–21) makes the second-place team in the East all the more dangerous as the playoffs approach. Suddenly, the path looks more difficult for the first-place Detroit Pistons (45–16) and company in the East, especially once Tatum hits his stride.
“The start of last (year’s) playoffs, we felt like we had a three-, four-, five-year run with that team,” Tatum explained. “It all changed in the moment with that team. … I didn’t know what was next.”
“Can’t commend the group enough and the coaching staff of how they attacked the season, how they competed, and just played together every single night,” Tatum said.
“I don’t know if there’s been a team that’s more fun to watch this season play.”
It’s a vastly different feeling from when the Celtics’ future looked shaken last year when Tatum sustained the injury. The New York Knicks bounced the Celtics from the playoffs, uncertainty surrounded the coming season, and Tatum faced a personal reality he never imagined.
“I don’t think any athlete thinks that they’re ever going to get hurt, at least I did not,” Tatum explained. “It never crossed my mind. I felt like I did everything right, took care of my body, and I didn’t cheat the game.”
“So, when it happened, it was a … it literally knocked me on my [expletive], and it just kind of made me rethink a lot of things,” he added. “I had an idea how my career was going to go, and one night, it changed.”
With the Celtics not missing a beat in his absence and his return to the court, Tatum couldn’t help but be grateful on Friday.
“I had a real sense of gratitude of just being back on the floor, playing basketball,” Tatum said.
“It just kind of brought me back to everything I’ve been through in the last 10 months. And the fact that I was able to even be out there today was a really big win for me.”
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