BOSTON — Six months ago, Jayson Tatum didn’t know he’d return in time for the playoffs. He wasn’t even certain he’d play at all until next season. Those thoughts of doubt followed him throughout his return from his torn right Achilles tendon, but vanished in Game 1 against the Sixers.
“I’m proud of what I’ve been able to accomplish, and return to play and all those things,” Tatum said after Sunday’s 123-91 Game 1 win over Philadelphia. “There was many a days where I wasn’t sure I was gonna play this
season, let alone get a chance to play today. So I’m overly just kind of grateful that I’m in this position right now.”
Tatum played in only 16 games during Boston’s regular season, with each being a stepping stone to ramp him up for the postseason. He averaged 21.8 points, led the team with 10 rebounds and shot 41.1 percent from the field through a stretch he admitted wasn’t picture-perfect. From missing his first dunk attempt on his March 6 return against the Mavericks to being open about the discomforts of returning to Madison Square Garden for the first time, Tatum rolled with the punches.
But to begin Boston’s first-round series against Philadelphia, Tatum really rediscovered the comforts of his old self.
Tatum got the Celtics going early, scoring 10 points with seven rebounds and four assists in the first quarter. He sank two fadeaway jumpers — one over Andre Drummond and the other over Tyrese Maxey — and sliced through Philadelphia’s defense to flush a vicious two-handed dunk in the final minute of the frame. With that head start, Tatum unleashed vintage JT, finishing with 25 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists, surpassing Kobe Bryant for 11th all-time in 3-pointers made in the playoffs (293).
When Tatum subbed out with over seven minutes remaining in regulation and the Celtics leading the Sixers, 108-78, fans gave him a standing ovation. It took only one appearance in the postseason for Tatum to look like himself again for a full 32:25 on the court.
To him, reaching that point began on Feb. 10, over nine weeks ago. That’s when Tatum truly felt like a return in time for a title run was within reach.
“The day that it changed or became a real thought was when I got assigned to the G-League, and we had the scrimmage,” Tatum explained. “And that was really the first time that it was like, ‘Oh, I might come back this year.’ I think just periodically having really good days of rehab that really boost my confidence — whether it’d be how I felt, me hitting certain benchmarks two weeks earlier than I was supposed to, me asking certain teammates how I looked, and the confidence they instilled in me was impactful.”
Tatum held nothing back against Philadelphia. With Joel Embiid out and the Sixers shorthanded, Tatum was on full attack mode. He hunted mismatches, abused Philadelphia’s defense whenever the opportunity rose, and kept the offensive momentum intact. Tatum assisted Sam Hauser in three of his four made 3-pointers and found Neemias Queta wide-open for a dunk-of-the-night nomination.
In his long-awaited postseason return, Tatum also inched himself closer to Larry Bird’s record for most 25-10-5 playoff performances (26) in Celtics history with his 23rd, per NBC Sports Boston’s Dick Lipe.
“Defensively, I thought he was really good,” coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Rebounding was great. Understanding of he changed matchups six, seven, eight times throughout the game. I thought that was great there. Offensively, just giving the game what it needs. He was in an aggressive pick-and-roll coverage. With that, you gotta be able to make the right play for yourself and others. I thought he did a great job of that — gave the game what it needed. We gotta continue to do that.”
Even though Tatum checked nearly every box possible, he remained clear about one thing: he hasn’t reached 100 percent just yet. Regardless of how it may appear or what the box score suggests, Tatum still views each day as another step toward that goal, knowing there are no shortcuts in the process.
“I’m still rehabbing,” Tatum said. “I still attack rehab every single day for when we have off-days.”
Sunday marked Tatum’s 122nd career playoff game. It was also his 17th against Philadelphia. So, while taking a moment to reflect on everything that had transpired over the last 11 months — the darkest stretch of his career — Tatum expressed sincere gratitude. The journey from a hospital bed in New York to a playoff ovation, followed by a sarcastic “We want Boston” chant at TD Garden, gave him a fresh perspective.
“A lot of things had to go right to even have the opportunity to come back and play,” Tatum said. “So obviously I thank God every day that I’m able to do — and return to do — what I love. From surgery the next day with Nick (Sang), to everything in between these last 48 weeks, has kind of been a buildup to today.”
