Jayson Tatum is proud to be back on the court following his season debut in the Boston Celtics' win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.
Tatum tore his Achilles in last year's playoff series against the New York Knicks in the East Semifinals. Following 10 months of rehab, he successfully made his return to the court.
In 27 minutes of action, Tatum completed a major step in his recovery. He finished with a stat line of 15 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists, and one steal. He shot 6-of-16 from the field, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.
Tatum reflected on the win after the game on the ESPN broadcast. He described the victory as an emotional one, emphasizing how long the journey has been for him to make his return to the hardwood.
“It was surreal. It was an emotional day. It's been a long journey. God is the greatest, getting me to this point. Many days I dreamed about this and for it to finally happen and share with my family, my teammates, the crowd. It was everything I could have dreamed of,” Tatum said.
"It was an emotional day… It's been a long journey."
Jayson Tatum opens up on how he felt being back on the court 🙏
(via @NBA)
pic.twitter.com/EePbjYwdJz— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 7, 2026
How Jayson Tatum, Celtics played against Mavericks
Jayson Tatum enjoyed a great night in his return from injury, helping the Celtics blow out the Mavericks 120-100 for the home win.
Boston took a while to get things going, having a cold shooting start. Despite this, they picked up the pace as Tatum scored his first points after returning from his Achilles injury to go into halftime. As he played well in his season debut, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White assisted him with strong displays to lead Boston to victory.
Six players scored in double-digits for Boston in the win, including Tatum. Jaylen Brown led the way with 24 points and seven rebounds, Derrick White had 20 points and four assists, while Payton Pritchard provided 18 points and seven rebounds.
Boston improved to a 42-21 record on the season, holding the second spot in the Eastern Conference standings. They are above the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers while trailing the Detroit Pistons.
The Celtics will look forward to their next matchup, being on the road. They take on the Cavaliers as tip-off will take place on March 8 at 1 p.m. ET.
