Celtics star Jayson Tatum nearly posts triple-double in a...

What’s Happening

Alright so The Celtics have to be thrilled with what they saw from their superstar on Friday Celtics star Jayson Tatum nearly posts triple-double in a remarkable return from Achilles injury The Celtics have to be thrilled with what they saw from their superstar on Friday By Brad Botkin Mar 7, 2026 at 12:13 am ET • 4 min read Imagn Images Less than 300 days after tearing his right Achilles tendon in last year’s playoffs, Jayson Tatum returned to the court for the Boston Celtics on Friday.

It went better than anyone could’ve possibly hoped. In 27 minutes, Tatum nearly put up a triple-double with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists as a plus-20 in a 120-100 win over the Mavericks . (it feels like chaos)

There is no way even the most optimistic Tatum fan saw this kind of performance coming.

The Details

The TD Garden crowd went wild when Tatum recorded his first bucket on a put-back dunk late in the first half. He followed that up with an escape-dribble corner 3 on the ensuing possession.

Com/aoeAsI8RPV — Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) With that sequence, Tatum was officially back. “It was surreal,” Tatum dropped of his first game back.

Why This Matters

Many days I dreamed about this. And for it to finally happen, to it with my family, my teammates, the crowd, it was everything I could’ve dreamed of. “I still got a long way to go.

Players and coaches will be watching how this unfolds closely.

The Bottom Line

If you were questioning what version of Tatum the Celtics were going to get, you have your answer. His legs might not be quite there yet, and the rhythm will come and go for a while, but with more than a month remaining in the regular season, this is a guy who can be pretty damn close to full-go the playoffs arrive, and certainly rounds.

Is this a W or an L? You decide.