"That s–t sucks" - Jayson Tatum on the toughest part of his Boston Celtics return
The Boston Celtics earned a 109–98 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday at Rocket Arena, delivering a strong statement in a matchup between two Eastern Conference contenders. The win moved Boston to 2–0 since Jayson Tatum returned from an Achilles injury.
After the game, Tatum was asked about how the reintegration process has been for him since the Celtics adopted a different identity with him out of the lineup, and now have to finish the job with him back in the rotation.
"It's been seamless, I would say," he said. "I got such a great connection with most of the group, and I played with most of these guys in a long time, and a bunch of high-IQ players. The toughest part for me is being on a minutes restriction. That s–t sucks, quite frankly.”
Tatum is on minutes restriction
After missing the first 62 games of the season and returning just 298 days after suffering an Achilles tear, it was widely expected that the Celtics would closely manage Tatum’s minutes. After all, they were the No.2 team in the Eastern Conference while he was away.
In his first two games back, Tatum has played just 27 minutes per game — well below his career average of 34.5 minutes and the 36.4 minutes he logged last season. The limited playing time, combined with the natural rust from such a long layoff, has made it difficult for him to establish a consistent rhythm. That has been reflected in his shooting so far, as he is connecting on just 37.5 percent of his attempts from the field.
"That's the toughest part, playing shorter stints and sitting for a longer time than I normally have, but I understand the bigger picture," he added.
Boston is in it to win it
Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the Celtics to their record-breaking 18th NBA title in 2024, but last season they failed to defend the crown, losing to the New York Knicks in the second round, a series in which their superstar forward got hurt. Nobody expected the Celtics to contend this season, with Tatum initially expected to sit out the year. But after an incredible rehab, he is back in action.
After the Celtics' win over the Cavaliers, they are now 43-21 and hold a 2.5-game lead over the third-seeded New York Knicks, who fell to the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. The loss also pushed Cleveland to four games behind Boston in the standings.
With the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons dropping their fourth straight game, the Celtics have closed the gap to just 2.5 games at the top of the conference, with 18 games still remaining in the regular season.
The Celtics have the third toughest remaining schedule in the league, though, and that's why Tatum's comeback means a lot to them at this point in the season. After dropping 15 points in his first game back, he scored 20 against the Cavaliers. One key difference was his aggressiveness — Tatum went to the free-throw line seven times on Sunday after not attempting a single free throw in his return game against the Dallas Mavericks .
Tatum still has a long way to go. Still, his reintegration into the lineup has been as seamless as possible.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
