Jayson Tatum upgraded to questionable for Mavericks game

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Jayson Tatum upgraded to questionable for Mavericks game

Brian Robb, Souichi Terada · MassLive

Thu, Mar 5, 2026 ·

2 min read

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Jayson Tatum’s long-anticipated return to the court could come as soon as Friday’s game against the Mavericks. The Celtics star was upgraded on the injury report ahead of the game to questionable with his Achilles injury . It’s been less than 10 months since Tatum went down with his ruptured Achilles tendon last May in the playoffs.

There’s been plenty of speculation on when Tatum would return to the court. The only likely factor was that it was going to be at TD Garden in front of the home crowd. That could indeed be the case as the C’s host the Mavericks at 7 p.m. Friday.

It’s still not guaranteed Tatum will step on the court Friday, but the status upgrade is certainly notable. It wasn’t even guaranteed Tatum would play this season despite the buzz behind his comeback. But now, even if he doesn’t play Friday, the return should be imminent with six weeks still left in the regular season.

Tatum hasn’t played in a game since he ruptured his Achilles tendon May 12, 2025, in the East semifinals against the Knicks . There’s been plenty of behind-the-scenes looks at his rehab in the months since then.

The comeback buzz started last month. Tatum practiced with the Maine Celtics, the team’s G League affiliate, back on Feb. 9. He had also reportedly participated in five-on-five scrimmages in the ensuing weeks. Despite that, the team and Tatum’s public stance was that he was still deciding on an in-season comeback.

Realistically, Tatum will have to ease himself back into playing shape over the coming weeks. He’ll likely start on a minutes restriction, though it remains to be seen if he will be a starter or not. Tatum will also not be at his first-team All-NBA self after suffering such a devastating injury.

But the possibilities are enticing for the Celtics, who are 41-21 and second in the East. The C’s have won the margins with high-effort play all season despite transforming their roster significantly last offseason. Adding Tatum — even if he’s not at full strength — gives them a major boost ahead of next month’s playoffs.

There will be plenty of eyeballs for Friday’s game, which will be nationally televised on ESPN. It’ll be a huge moment in Boston when Tatum steps on the court after his lengthy rehab process.

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