Boston's superstar posts 15-12-7 in first game since Achilles injury.
Jayson Tatum’s road back to the NBA floor finally reached its final milestone Friday night.
Nearly 10 months after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, the Celtics (42-21) star returned to action in Boston’s 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks (21-42).
Tatum finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists in 27 minutes, shaking off early rust before settling into the kind of all-around performance that underscored why his return carries so much significance for Boston.
The numbers told only part of the story.
The moment itself - walking onto the TD Garden floor as an active player again after 298 days - represented a victory months in the making.
Tatum’s night began unevenly.
The forward missed his first six shots, including a wide-open dunk attempt in the second quarter when he failed to generate the necessary lift to finish above the rim. For a player accustomed to making the difficult look routine, the early sequence reflected the reality of returning to NBA speed after such a long absence.
But the breakthrough came late in the first half.
With just over a minute remaining before halftime, Tatum muscled his way inside for an offensive rebound and finished a putback dunk, finally getting his first points of the night and igniting the crowd. Moments later, he followed with a 3-pointer that helped spark a quick Boston run heading into the break.
From there, the rhythm started to return.
Managing his minutes carefully, head coach Joe Mazzulla used Tatum in controlled bursts, largely opening each quarter with six-minute stretches before brief late-half appearances.
As the game progressed, the 28-year-old found a groove, hitting five consecutive shots at one point after the 0 for 6 start and pushing into double figures during the third quarter.
He finished the night with a double-double and a plus-20 rating, contributing across the board as Boston gradually pulled away.
Mar 6, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) celebrates after making a three point basket against the Dallas Mavericks during the second quarter at TD Garden. (Winslow Townson/Imagn Images)For Tatum, though, the stat line was secondary to the simple reality of being back. His journey began almost immediately after the injury last May, when surgery was performed in New York less than a day after the tear. Months of rehabilitation followed - long days of treatment, conditioning, and gradual rebuilding - while he watched his teammates compete without him. The process tested both his patience and perspective.
For one of the NBA’s premier players, the chance to simply step on the floor again became something not to take for granted.
Friday offered the first tangible reward.
Though he admitted at the podium that he still felt a step off early while adjusting to the game’s speed, the night ultimately brought a sense of normalcy back to his routine.
The Celtics, meanwhile, saw flashes of the player who has anchored their identity for years - a playmaker capable of impacting the game even while still rediscovering his rhythm.
When Tatum checked out with just over five minutes remaining and Boston comfortably ahead, the Garden crowd rose to its feet.
The ovation wasn’t just for what he produced in 27 minutes.
It was for the 298 days it took to get back.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.