Jayson Tatum recorded a double-double in his season debut as the Boston Celtics earned a 120-100 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.
The six-time NBA All-Star has 15 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists in front of the Boston fans at the TD Garden.
‘It was surreal,’ Tatum told ESPN after the game. ‘It was an emotional day.’
Tatum’s right Achilles tendon ruptured during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks on May 12, 2025, leading to him missing the rest of the playoffs and much of the NBA 2025-2026 regular season.
The forward built confidence throughout the game, after a slow start as a scorer. He produced five quick points in the final minutes of the first half. He continued to build upon that confidence in the third quarter.
He entered Friday’s game having averaged 23.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game over 585 career games played during his career. Tatum signed a contract extension with the Celtics on July 6, 2024.
Follow along as Jayson Tatum makes his long-awaited return to the NBA:
Final: Celtics 120, Mavericks 100
Jayson Tatum finished out the game with positive results, sitting out the final minutes of the game after producing a double-double performance.
Jaylen Brown had 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists for Boston, while Neemias Queta added 16 points and 15 rebounds.
Cooper Flagg had 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Mavericks.
Nikola Vucevic injury update
Celtics center Nikola Vucevic suffered a fractured right ring finger during the game against the Mavericks. He is expected to undergo a procedure on Saturday for the injury and will miss a month, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Jayson Tatum remains hot in third quarter
Jayson Tatum started the third period for Boston and continued to build off the confidence he gathered in the closing minutes of the first half as a scorer.
Tatum is closing in on a double-double performance. He has 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists with 2:40 left in the third quarter.
Halftime: Celtics 58, Mavericks 53
Jayson Tatum finished the first half shooting 2-for-8 from the field and 1-for-4 from the 3-point line. He had five points, five rebounds and five assists for the Celtics in 14 minutes of play. Jaylen Brown added 10 points, four rebounds and two assists, while Derrick White had 13 points and two steals. Both played 17 minutes in the first half.
Cooper Flagg went 4-for-11 from the field for 10 points in 15 minutes of play. He also went 2-for-2 from the free-throw line. Flagg added four rebounds, three assists and a steal in the first half.
Jayson Tatum scores his first basket
Jayson Tatum provided some momentum for the Boston Celtics at the end of the first half. Tatum scored his first baskets since his return, with the first being a putback dunk that drew a strong reaction from the home crowd at TD Garden.
Tatum quickly followed up the play with a 3-point shot in the corner. Celtics lead Mavericks 58-53 at halftime.
Jayson Tatum misses dunk attempt
Jayson Tatum missed a driving dunk attempt with 9:10 left in the second quarter. Moussa Cisse recovered the defensive rebound for the Mavericks. Naji Marshall made a 7-foot two-point shot down the other end to give Dallas a 29-26 lead. The Celtics decide to call for a timeout with 8:59 left before halftime.
Neemias Queta subbed out of the game during the timeout for Luka Garza. Tatum remains in the game. Tatum would later check out of the game with 6:25 left in the first half.
Jayson Tatum checks in for second quarter
Jayson Tatum will start the second quarter, replacing Baylor Scheierman. He played just under six minutes in the first quarter.
1Q: Mavericks 22, Celtics 21
Boston trailed by one point at the end of the first quarter. Payton Pritchard had an offensive rebound and made a shot, but it was reviewed and overturned by the referees during the break.
Jayson Tatum remains ready
Jayson Tatum remains on the bench with less than a minute remaining in the first quarter. He was seen on the exercise bike, staying warm while he is out of the game.
Jayson Tatum subbed out
Jayson Tatum’s first stint on the court lasted nearly six minutes. The forward headed to the bench with 6:08 left in the first quarter. He went 0-for-2 from the field but recorded two rebounds and two assists.
One of his two assists went to Jaylen Brown, who made a 3-pointer to give the Celtics a 5-4 lead against the Mavericks with 8:25 left in the opening period.
Cooper Flagg injured early
Flagg limped off the court after he drove toward the basket, while splitting two defenders, for a shot attempt. Flagg’s shot was short as he went to the ground and immediately began to hold his left leg and ankle. He did return to the game after the timeout and did not miss any time.
Jayson Tatum records first assist of season
Tatum had his first statistical impact of the game, completing a short pass to center Neemias Queta for an assist.
Jayson Tatum introduced at TD Garden
Tatum was introduced in front of the home crowd on Friday for the first time this season.
Will Jayson Tatum start for the Boston Celtics tonight?
Jayson Tatum is ready to step back on the court in his regular role, just 298 days since he tore his Achilles.
‘I ain’t coming back to be no role player,’ Tatum told his doctor during a visit that was shown in a documentary series about his recovery.
He went through pregame warm-ups without an issue.
Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight vs. Mavericks?
Yes, he will make his highly-anticipated season debut, barring any unforeseen setbacks. The Celtics officially listed Tatum as available on the latest injury report Friday early afternoon. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla confirmed that Tatum would start the game.
The initial injury report published Thursday had listed Tatum as questionable for the first time since he tore his Achilles; previously, the Celtics had listed him as out. As of Friday morning, Tatum had retained the questionable designation, though local media at the Celtics facility reported that Tatum was present at the team’s shootaround, staying mostly in the weight room area.
This is standard procedure for Tatum; in September, he told USA TODAY Sports that, on gamedays, he lifts weights every morning prior to tipoff.
Tatum and the training staff will presumably check off any last-minute preparations to ensure Tatum is physically and mentally locked in. In any case, it’s safe to assume that his minutes will be closely monitored.
“We only have (20) games left, so it’s going to have to be a quick process whenever that happens,” Celtics forward Sam Hauser said Friday of incorporating Tatum, according to the Boston Herald. “As much as you want, like, a grace period for that, we don’t really have that luxury, so we’re all just going to have to figure it out on the fly. That’s a good thing for us to have to problem-solve whenever that comes up and figure things out on our own. But I think overall, it’s a positive.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla speaks about Jayson Tatum return
Joe Mazzulla held his pre-game press conference Friday and addressed Tatum’s return.
“It wasn’t what I wanted to see, it was what he wanted to see for himself,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Friday of any requirements that needed to be met for Tatum to return. “What the sports science team and trainers wanted to see from him.
“It’s been a long journey and the culmination of a new journey begins today. It’s just a credit to, one, him, obviously for the work ethic he has put in and, two, the support staff, his family and his support staff with the Celtics to get to this point.”
Mazzulla confirmed that Tatum would start the game, did not disclose if Tatum would be on a minutes restriction and expressed gratitude for Tatum’s return.
“At the end of the day, our team is whole now,” Mazzulla added.
What does Jayson Tatum’s return mean for the Boston Celtics?
This is a clear indication that Tatum and Boston each think they can compete for a title. And, given that the team is 41-21 and just 4 ½ games back of the top seed in the Eastern Conference, it’s a sound position to take.
It’s also an indication that Tatum feels he’s able to return at least close to his previous form. Tatum had said multiple times that he wasn’t interested in returning until he was sure he could reach his regular levels of production and said he didn’t want to be a distraction from the team’s success. Still, it will take some time for the Celtics to fully incorporate Tatum into their operation, so fans shouldn’t expect him to match his career averages quite yet.
And while there may be some initial growing pains as Tatum reacclimates, don’t expect any potential headwinds to be permanent; Tatum is intimately familiar with the system Boston runs, and the coaching staff’s stability and continuity are assets in this scenario.
And, if Boston is able to get Tatum to return to previous form, it immediately makes them a legitimate contender for an NBA championship.
“One silver lining I had through all of this, I’ve had (time) to kind of rehab and strengthen my calf to get it as strong as my left one, or stronger, but also really work on my body,” Tatum told USA TODAY Sports in September. “I’ve been in the weight room six days a week, working on my core, working on legs, quads, hamstrings and all that. I’m injured, but ironically, the rest of my body is as strong as it’s ever been. So I see a world in which I came back and it’s like, ‘Yo my body has never felt this good probably since I was 19.’ ”
How many minutes will Jayson Tatum play vs. Mavericks?
At this point, it’s not set in stone, and the Celtics will almost certainly not reveal their precise plan for Tatum in his debut. Still, a minutes restriction is a near certainty, as he works his way back to game shape. Coach Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics have maintained that they would be prudent with Tatum, so there’s no reason to rush him back to a full workload, especially since the Mavericks (21-41) are not a particularly strong opponent.
Tatum hasn’t played a live basketball game since mid-May, so his conditioning will be tested. Last season, Tatum averaged 36.4 minutes per game. He likely won’t come close to that Friday night.
Reporters asked Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla if Tatum would be on a minutes restriction, and Mazzulla played it close to the vest, saying: “I have no idea.”
Given the stature Tatum has, however, and his importance to the franchise, a good estimate for his playing time is around 20-to-25 minutes.
How to watch Jayson Tatum’s potential season debut vs. Mavericks: TV channel, live stream
Start time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: TD Garden (Boston)
TV channel: ESPN
Live stream: ESPN, Fubo
Jayson Tatum 2024-25 stats
Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game in 72 appearances.