Jayson Tatum Poised To Return For Boston Celtics Friday

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The Boston Celtics could finally see Jayson Tatum return when Dallas visits TD Garden on Friday. Tatum is listed as questionable for the home game on the NBA injury report. The forward has missed the entire 2025-26 season so far after rupturing the right Achilles tendon on 12 May 2025 against the New York Knicks.

Boston enters the Dallas clash at 41-21, leading the Atlantic Division yet still chasing seeding. The Celtics sit second in the Eastern Conference, five games behind the Detroit Pistons. They hold a 1.5-game cushion over the Knicks and are 2.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers in a tight race for home-court advantage.

The latest listing marks the first time this season that Tatum is not ruled out for rehabilitation. Until this week, every official report had placed Tatum on the sidelines. The injury happened late in Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semi-final defeat to New York, a loss that ended the Celtics’ 2024-25 playoff run.

Tatum turned 28 on Tuesday and already holds a strong individual record. The forward is a six-time All-Star and has earned All-NBA first-team honours in each of the last four seasons. Tatum has also led the Celtics in scoring for six straight campaigns, underlining the central role within Boston’s offence.

During the 2024-25 regular season, Tatum played 72 games before the Achilles tear. Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and a career-best 6.0 assists. From three-point range, Tatum shot 34.3 percent and ranked fifth in the league with 3.5 made three-pointers per game, showing high-volume perimeter production.

Tatum returned to practice in early February with the Celtics’ G League affiliate as part of the recovery plan. Shams Charania of ESPN reported that Tatum is described as ready to go. Tatum had previously hinted at a desire to make the season debut in front of Boston fans rather than on the road.

The Dallas fixture is Boston’s final home game before a three-game trip away from TD Garden. After that stretch, the Celtics will next host the Washington Wizards on 14 March. Boston has 20 regular-season games left, and Tatum’s status for Friday could shape how the team approaches the final push for playoff positioning.