Jayson Tatum is heading back to Madison Square Garden on Thursday, and this time the game carries playoff seeding consequences for both the Celtics and Knicks. Boston and New York meet late in the regular season with the No. 2 seed still within reach for the Celtics and a possible climb as high as second for the Knicks.
Boston entered at 54-25, while New York came in at 51-28. One more Celtics victory, or any Knicks loss, would lock Boston into the No. 2 seed. New York is also fighting Cleveland for the third and fourth seeds, giving Thursday’s celtics vs knicks matchup direct impact on the order behind the conference front-runners.
For Tatum, the trip to Manhattan carries a different kind of weight. It will be his first game at Madison Square Garden since he ruptured his Achilles tendon in a road playoff game against the Knicks there last season. Asked about returning, Tatum said he had thought about it and added that he was not thrilled to go back because his last game there was traumatic.
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He has played 15 games since returning from the injury and is averaging 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.1 assists. Boston has gone 13-2 in those games, a run that has helped keep the Celtics near the top of the East even as the regular season winds down. The team is scheduled to face New Orleans at home on Friday, but Tatum said after Tuesday’s win that he planned to play Thursday against New York.
That decision fits the approach he described after the injury. Tatum said he knew he would eventually have to get over the hurdle of playing at Madison Square Garden again and that, since he decided to come back, he is not skipping certain games. He also said he cannot play back-to-backs right now, but that this is simply another game on the schedule.
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Boston will be without Jaylen Brown, who is out with left Achilles tendinitis. Sam Hauser is available, while Neemias Queta is questionable with a right toe sprain and Derrick White is questionable with a right knee contusion. The Celtics have the stronger record and the clearest path to the No. 2 seed, but Thursday also gives Tatum a chance to turn a difficult return into part of Boston’s late-season push.
