The Boston Celtics‘ TD Garden saw an unexpectedly emotional night of March basketball last night as their 2024 NBA Finals opponents, the Dallas Mavericks, came to town. While a regular home matchup like this likely would be about Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg coming to play in Boston for the first time, it wound up being a celebratory return to basketball for Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Tatum tore his Achilles tendon during the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, with many expecting him to miss the entire 2025-26 season in recovery. However, Tatum pushed as aggressively as he could to make a return to the court less than 300 days after suffering the injury. His return game saw him play on a minutes restriction, but he put up 15 points (6-16 FG), 12 rebounds, and seven assists in those 17 minutes of action.
Tatum’s absence has meant that Jaylen Brown stepped into the shoes of the franchise superstar, more than admirably leading the franchise to a 42-21 record this season. Brown is a former Finals MVP but has been regarded as a No. 2 option behind Tatum in the past, so fans have speculated if Tatum’s return could throw a wrinkle into Boston’s chemistry amid a career season for Brown.
However, those rumors can be put to rest after a moving message shared by Brown about watching his longtime teammate return from a career-threatening injury. He shared this on his live stream after the 120-100 win over the Mavericks.
“It’s good to see, not only my brother back out there, but more importantly, besides basketball, the mental aspect for those who have had injuries, it definitely has an impact on your mental health. So, to see my boy smiling and seeing him out there having fun doing what he loves to do.”
“I got to see, up close and personal, when he went down with the injury. Watching that look in his eyes of uncertainty, for him to be back out there and smiling, that was a victory in itself.”
“Shout out to Jayson Tatum, shout out to the medical facility for doing a great job. It’s good to see, beyond anything else like wins and losses, just to see your brother back out there smiling and getting to do what he loves to do.”
Brown put up 24 points (9-17 FG), seven rebounds, and seven assists alongside Jayson Tatum in his return game. The Celtics now look like legitimate contenders to reclaim the NBA Championship after holding onto the No. 2 seed without a five-time All-NBA selection like Tatum.
Even if Tatum takes the remaining 19 games of the Celtics’ regular season to get accustomed to playing competitive basketball again, the team will be well-positioned to be the best squad in the East’s Playoffs.
They’ll likely have the edge over inexperienced teams like the Detroit Pistons and Toronto Raptors, while it’s hard to imagine the Cleveland Cavaliers making a title run after a major midseason trade, despite their strong form with James Harden.
Their biggest challenge will likely come from the New York Knicks, who were on their way to eliminating the Celtics anyway before Tatum’s injury in the 2025 Playoffs.
Regardless of what happens on the court this season, this moment will be a huge achievement for Tatum and the Celtics. Brown doesn’t care about his future numbers when it comes to appreciating what his teammate has managed to pull off to maximize Boston’s chances of winning another NBA Championship this season.
