Fans went wild after Jayson Tatum threw down a two-handed dunk for his first points during his season debut in the Boston Celtics' matchup against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night.

Tatum finally made his long-awaited debut on March 6. It marked nearly 10 months after tearing his Achilles in Game 4 of the 2025 East Semifinals against the New York Knicks.

Tatum missed the first 62 games of the season, leaving 20 games left for him to potentially take part in. Making his debut against Dallas, he tried to slam a one-handed dunk in the early minutes of the second quarter that was unsuccessful.

Tatum didn't let that stop him from trying again, completing a two-handed putback jam in the final minutes of the first half. Fans in attendance were happy to see him use that burst of athleticism to make strides in his recovery. Here are some of their reactions.

“Moments like this show why Jayson Tatum is special coming back from injury and still trying to dunk takes courage that’s the mindset of someone who refuses to play scared,” one fan said.

“Jayson Tatum heating up and the Boston crowd loving it,” another remarked.

“The sidestep finally worked 😭,” one commented.

“Good to see him back.. Celtics bout to take over fr,” one replied.

Article Continues Below

“ABSOLUTE CINEMA,” a fan exclaimed.

How Jayson Tatum, Celtics played against Mavericks

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) looks to shoot during the first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden.
Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

Jayson Tatum had a solid game in his return from injury, helping the Celtics blow out the Mavericks by a 120-100 score.

Six players scored in double-digits for Boston in the win, including Tatum. He finished with 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. 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.