The Boston Celtics have played sensational basketball in what was supposed to be a transition season as superstar Jayson Tatum recovered from an Achilles injury suffered in last year's playoffs. Tatum returned to the Celtics lineup in Friday's victory over the Dallas Mavericks and he also made a solid contribution in Sunday's 109-98 road triumph over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jayson Tatum on reintegrating into the Celtics:
“It’s been seamless, I would say. I’ve played with most of these guys for a long time.”
“Toughest part for me is being on a minutes restriction. That **** sucks quite frankly…Obviously, I understand the bigger picture.”
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— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) March 8, 2026
Tatum scored 20 points and partnered with Jaylen Brown (23 points) in the triumph over the Cavs. Boston built a 20-point lead at halftime and stretched it out to 26 points in the second half before the Celtics cruised in the fourth quarter to the double-digit win. Tatum played 27 minutes in the game and he made 6 of 16 shots from the floor.
Tatum is very happy with the progress he has made in his return to the Celtics. “It’s been seamless, I would say. I’ve played with most of these guys for a long time,” Tatum said after the game. “Toughest part for me is being on a minutes restriction. That s**t sucks quite frankly. Obviously, I understand the bigger picture.”
The Celtics have 18 games remaining in the regular season to get Tatum fully acclimated to this year's team. He should be at full speed by the time the postseason gets underway.
Tatum has always been the Celtics' primary scorer throughout his career, but fellow star Jaylen Brown has been the team's leader this season. One of the keys for the Celtics is the way Tatum and Brown play off of each other from this point forward.
In addition to the two stars, the Celtics have been getting huge contributions from Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Neemias Queta and Sam Hauser.
