It took 11 games, but Jayson Tatum looked like his old self in Sunday's 114-99 road win over the Charlotte Hornets. He showed no signs of the ruptured Achilles tendon that he suffered in last year's playoffs, galvanizing Boston Celtics fans everywhere while striking fear into future opponents. The team is not deviating from its plan, however. Tatum will not play versus the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, per NBA correspondent Marc Stein.
Boston is not going to jeopardize its renewed championship aspirations by rolling out a franchise pillar on the second night of a back-to-back. He has come too far in his recovery process to suffer a setback now. Besides, the Celtics (50-24) are already in good shape in the standings. They lead the New York Knicks by two and a half games for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference. The C's need Tatum to maintain peak form in the later stages of the postseason, not right now.
The four-time First-Team All-NBA selection scored a season-high 32 points on 12-of-23 shooting versus the Hornets. He also posted eight assists, five rebounds and one block, having a comprehensive impact on the outcome of the game. Celtics fans know Tatum will find ways to contribute even when his shot is not falling, but they also know that the team can probably only go so far if he is not sharp from the field.
A ramp-up period was inevitable given the nature and timing of his injury. Jaylen Brown and company shattered expectations during Tatum's absence and gave the Celtics a nice cushion in the standings. Their favorable positioning has enabled the six-time All-Star to shake off the rust during the final 20 games of the regular season. The hope has long been that Jayson Tatum would rediscover his stroke for the playoffs.
Perhaps he can do so even sooner. What was originally supposed to be a transition campaign now appears to be business as usual in Boston. With that in mind, the 2024 NBA champion will sit out on Monday night. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET in State Farm Arena.
