The C's have the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, which begin for them on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
The Boston Celtics will open up their next playoff run on Sunday afternoon (1 p.m. ET) against the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden.
After going 56-26 in the regular season, the Celtics earned the No. 2 seed, while the 76ers earned the No. 7 via the NBA's play-in tournament.
The two teams have extensive playoff history, and they split the regular season series at two games apiece.
Speaking during a Friday media session, Celtics star Jayson Tatum said he's appreciative of the opportunity to be back in the playoffs, especially after tearing his Achilles tendon last May and missing 66 games this season while recovering.
Per @CelticsCLNS
Jayson Tatum is excited for the playoffs: "I didn't even know if I was gonna play this year ... I couldn't be more grateful."
"When something's taken from you, it just means a little more."
Says he's a full go: "I'm ready."
The former No. 3 pick in the NBA Draft (2017), Tatum is now a nine-year veteran of the Celtics. A six-time All-Star and a five-time All-NBA selection, he was also the MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals in 2021-22. He has helped the Celtics get to the NBA Finals twice, including a championship win in 2023-24.
Though it was just 16 games, Tatum played quite well in his return to the floor. He averaged 21.8 ppg and a career-high 10 rebounds. He shot 41.1 percent from the floor and 32.9 percent from three-point range. As usual, he'll be a big factor in how the Celtics go this season.
Tatum also spoke about going to the playoffs once again with Jaylen Brown, who was also drafted No. 3 overall, just one year earlier. The two have been to the playoffs each year of Tatum's career.
Jayson Tatum on entering his 9th postseason with Jaylen Brown: "It's great. Been fortunate enough to be ... paired with him this entire journey. Nobody's successful by themselves. It takes a group."
"Last year, getting injured made me cherish each moment."
With Tatum on the mend, the 29-year-old Brown put up the best season of his career, averaging 28.7 ppg and 6.9 rebounds. Now a five-time All-Star, Brown is headed for a second All-NBA selection, but a recent ruling likely impacts his ability to earn a spot on the first team or to receive a top-three finish in the battle for the NBA's MVP Award.
Broadcast information as it stands
Some of the critical information for the first four games of the series was released late on Tuesday night, but information for Games 5-7 (if necessary) has not been decided.
Game 1: Sunday at 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
Game 2: Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET (Peacock)
Game 3: April 24 at 7 p.m. ET (Prime)
Game 4: April 26 at 7 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 5: April 28
Game 6: April 30
Game 7: May 2
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