Jayson Tatum Returns From Achilles Injury With 15 Points, 12 Rebounds And 7 Assists In Celtics Victory

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Jayson Tatum returned from a torn right Achilles and helped the Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 120-100 at TD Garden. The Celtics forward, back after 10 months out, posted 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, showing control after a slow shooting start in the NBA regular-season clash.

Tatum missed his first six field-goal attempts but settled into the game, contributing across the floor as Boston pulled away. Jaylen Brown scored 24 points and Derrick White added 20 for Joe Mazzulla’s team, yet the main focus in Boston remained on Tatum’s performance and physical response.

The 26-year-old became the first player in NBA history to miss a team’s opening 50 games, or more, and then record at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a season debut. "I still got a long way to go, but this was a really good step, said Tatum.

Tatum’s Achilles tear came in Game 4 of the 2025 NBA Eastern Conference semi-finals against the New York Knicks. The injury left Tatum sidelined for 42 and a half weeks and forced the Celtics star to watch the first half of this season while working through a long rehabilitation process.

It's been a long time coming just to get to this point. Nights and days, I dreamed about this moment and anticipation, the crowd. It's been 42 and a half weeks since I played in an NBA game, so just trying to get caught up on the speed and everything. I just kind of felt like I was a step off or moving too fast. But the game started to slow down as I just kind of relaxed a little bit. I really was just kind of grateful. I had a real sense of gratitude of just being back on the floor, playing basketball. It just kind of brought me back to everything I've been through in the last 10 months. And the fact that I was able to even be out there today was a really big win for me.

The forward said the matchup helped adjust to NBA tempo again and that the early misses did not change the approach. Tatum’s return, alongside strong displays from Brown and White, offered Boston a positive sign as the Celtics manage minutes and expectations following such a serious injury.