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Jayson Tatum comeback: Everything you need to know about his return this week vs. Mavericks
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- Jayson Tatum comeback: Everything you need to know about his return this week vs. Mavericks
Jayson Tatum could make his comeback as soon as Friday's game against the Mavericks at TD Garden. The Celtics upgraded Tatum on the injury report to questionable with his Achilles injury. So while it's not guaranteed Tatum will play, it's clear an in-season return is imminent with the NBA world buzzing .
Tatum ruptured his Achilles tendon last May against the Knicks in last year's playoffs. It's been less than 10 months since he went down with the injury. Tatum's rehab has been well-documented in the months since then with the C's star occasionally sharing updates on his social media.
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Regardless, whenever Tatum steps back onto the court , the TD Garden crowd will greet him with a deafening roar. That moment looks like it's coming Friday. Here's a look at everything you need to know about Tatum's return:
Who is Tatum facing in his comeback game?
The Celtics star acknowledged before the season that he wanted to come back at TD Garden if he was cleared to play. With Boston closing out a three-game homestand Friday against the Dallas Mavericks before hitting the road for three straight games, the opportunity has presented itself.
Tatum will face a Mavericks squad that is an ideal first opponent for a player coming off a 10-month absence from the court. Dallas is 21-40 this season as they are one of several teams tanking in preparation for a very deep 2026 NBA Draft class. The Mavericks have already dealt away Anthony Davis and shut down Kyrie Irving for the season and are losers of four straight games. Rookie phenom Cooper Flagg may make his return from a knee injury in the matchup but the competition won't be too stiff for Tatum out of the gate.
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How much will Tatum play in his return?
Joe Mazzulla has never been forthcoming when discussing players on a minutes limit, but the expectation is Tatum will need to work his way up to a full minutes load. A good estimate would be around 25 minutes at most since that's what Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray had in his return from an Achilles tear in February.
How many games will Tatum play before the playoffs?
The Celtics currently sit at 41-21 and have 20 games remaining in the regular season. Assuming Boston finishes top-6 in the East standings, Tatum and the Celtics have six weeks until their first-round series, which will begin either April 18 or 19.
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Boston has a pretty tough schedule down the stretch from an opponent and volume perspective. The team has just two back-to-back sets left but only has two days off in a row during the final 20 games of the season. As a result, it's likely that the Celtics training staff will map out some recovery days for him in the ramp-up process beyond just missing one half of the back-to-back sets. Even with those worked in, Tatum can easily get 10-15 games in to close out the year in preparation for Boston's postseason run assuming he experiences no setbacks upon returning to the floor.
Here's a look at a timeline of Tatum's progress since rupturing his Achilles tendon:
May, 12, 2025 — Tatum crumples to the ground with 3:07 left in the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the East semifinal series against the Knicks. The Celtics star immediately grabs at his right Achilles tendon and needs to be carried off by trainers. He's seen in a wheelchair in the Madison Square Garden tunnels with his face buried in his hands.
May 13, 2025 — Tatum undergoes successful surgery by renowned surgeon Dr. Martin O'Malley in New York. The Celtics announce Tatum's season is done.
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June 7, 2025 — Tatum gives his first public update on his Achilles rehab on his social media: "Day 25… days starting to get a little easier."
June 29, 2025 — Tatum shares another rehab update on his social media, though this one was a bit more negative: "Day 45… this is some (expletive)." Tatum also posted videos of him working out with a boot on his right foot while rehabbing.
Aug. 20, 2025 — Tatum details how the first six weeks of rehab were "probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life." But his spirits seemed high a few months removed from the surgery.
Sept. 27, 2025 — Tatum posts on his YouTube channel footage of his workouts at the Auerbach Center. Roughly four months since surgery, the NBA world buzzes about a potential Tatum in-season return. Tatum is shown running up and down the court, plus getting some shots up.
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Sept. 29, 2025 — Tatum speaks at Celtics Media Day ahead of training camp. It's the first time Tatum spoke publicly in a news conference setting since his injury. "There's no pressure to return back any sooner than when I'm 100% healthy," Tatum said. "No pressure from Brad (Stevens), Joe (Mazzulla), the team, the organization. The most important thing is that I'm 100% recovered and healthy whenever I do come back."
Dec. 10, 2025 — Tatum posts videos of him playing one-on-one against assistant coach Tony Dobbins during a recent workout. It's another step in the rehab process.
Jan. 19, 2026 — Tatum has an extensive workout in Detroit in front of the media at Celtics shootaround ahead of their game against the Pistons. The comeback buzz grows as Tatum dunks and goes through some contact portions during the workout.
Jan. 28, 2026 — While Tatum comeback buzz grows, there's a new report that cooled some of that hype. NBA insider Chris Haynes reports that Tatum is debating whether he will make a return this season.
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Feb. 9, 2026 — The Celtics announce Tatum will practice with the Maine Celtics, the team's G League affiliate, in a major positive step. Teammate Ron Harper Jr. said Tatum looked like Tatum during the practice.
Feb. 10, 2026 — Tatum details how his rehab progress has gone, speaking in a media availability for the first time since Media Day. "It's just like the progression of rehab," Tatum said. "It was the next step. Doesn't mean that I'm coming back or I'm not. It's just following the plan. So it's just another step."
Feb. 21, 2026 — Tatum speaks to the media again during the Celtics' West Coast road trip. The Celtics posted images of Tatum working out with his teammates a few days prior during a practice in San Francisco. "There was a little five-on-five," Tatum said. "It's tough to go into detail of every single thing I do every day. But I will say getting acclimated more and doing limited things with some of the guys out there."
Feb. 27, 2026 — Tatum is reportedly a "full go" during five-on-five scrimmages with the team. It's a major update and one of the last few steps ahead of a return.
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March 5, 2026 — Tatum is upgraded on the Celtics injury report ahead of their game Friday against the Mavericks. It's not guaranteed Tatum will play, but it's clear an in-season return is imminent.
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