Jayson Tatum is expected to step back into Madison Square Garden on Thursday, his first game there since he tore his Achilles tendon in May. The Celtics star said Tuesday night that he is not exactly excited about the return, but he knows the moment has been waiting for him.
“I’ve thought about it,” Tatum said after scoring 23 points in Boston’s 113-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets. “I’m not, like, thrilled to go back and play there.” He added that the last time he played at the Garden was a traumatic experience, and said he will get over the hurdle this Thursday because he was always going to have to play there again at some point.
Tatum confirmed he intends to suit up in New York before the Celtics host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, even though he is still not playing back-to-backs. “I can’t play back-to-backs right now, but I decided to come back and play, so it’s just another game on the schedule,” he said.
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The timing matters because the Celtics are not just trying to keep Tatum comfortable in his return. They have won 13 of their 15 games with him in the lineup since he came back, and the standings could eventually point Boston and New York toward a second-round playoff meeting if they hold. In that sense, Thursday is more than a return to a familiar floor. It is a test of how far Tatum has come since May, and whether the building that injured him can become just another stop on the way forward.
Jaylen Brown said Tatum looks ready for it. “It seems like JT is in a good spot,” Brown said. “He’s playing good basketball. He’s rebounding the ball. He’s handling those physical drives. Looks more explosive than those first couple of games, so I think he’s trending in the right direction.” Brown added that if there is any mental weight to the return, the Celtics will handle it together. “We’ve got his back,” he said.
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The knicks schedule now puts Boston on a path that could matter again in the spring, but Thursday is the first checkpoint. Tatum said he will play through it.
