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mar 07 2026BOSTON — The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 120-100 in the NBA in Jayson Tatum's highly anticipated return, coming back to the court nearly 10 months after suffering a right Achilles tendon injury during last season's playoffs.
Boston's victory was led by Jaylen Brown, who recorded 24 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, while Derrick White added 20 points to propel the Celtics to their fourth win in their last five games.
All eyes were on Jayson Tatum, who played his first game since the injury suffered in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against New York in May. The small forward finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists, shooting 6 of 16 from the field, in 27 minutes split into five and six-minute stretches as he worked his way back into game rhythm.
The start was not easy for Tatum, who missed his first six shots, including three three-pointers, but remained active generating plays for his teammates and participating in screens to activate Boston's offense.
For the Dallas Mavericks, rookie Cooper Flagg, the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, recorded 16 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in his first game at TD Garden, an arena close to his home state of Maine. Klay Thompson contributed 19 points and Naji Marshall added 13.
Dallas is going through a difficult stretch and has lost six consecutive games.
Boston has 19 regular season games remaining, including 11 at TD Garden, with the goal of Tatum fully regaining his competitive rhythm heading into the playoffs.
