Boston Celtics fans inside TD Garden on Friday gave Jayson Tatum a standing ovation during his introduction. Tatum earned a raucous reception for his first game back with the team since rupturing his right Achilles in May during the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Early in the second quarter against the Dallas Mavericks, Tatum drove into the paint, went past Moussa Cisse, but fell short with his dunk. The play quickly went viral, prompting mocking reactions from fans.
One fan wrote:
“Announce Jayson Tatum shut down for the rest of season already.”
Another fan added:
“He’s looking washed out there.”
One more fan continued:
“He rushed back for what reason??”
Another fan reacted:
“He’s back like never before, man. Already back to his playoff form of 2024. Shout out to bro.”
One fan tweeted:
“He’s so not ready.”
The Celtics announced on Thursday that Tatum had been upgraded to a questionable status. Once the injury report was submitted, it became apparent that the six-time All-Star was likely making his season debut against the Mavericks.
The TD Garden crowd was ready and hyped for the return of one of their franchise cornerstones. They gave him a loud welcome during the introductions.
As expected, Jayson Tatum was rusty in his first game back from a torn Achilles. Only two players in NBA history who suffered the same injury returned faster than him. The 6-foot-9 forward missed his first six shots before scoring on a tip-in late in the second quarter. He finished the first quarter with five points, five assists and five rebounds.
Although Tatum’s shooting touch is still off, he has already been impactful in other areas for the Celtics. He remains an excellent rebounder and playmaker while contributing on defense. Boston took a 58-53 lead in the first half of his return.
Jayson Tatum, Celtics’ Poor 3-Point Shooting Keep Weary Mavericks in the Game
Jayson Tatum, who went 1-for-4 from deep, wasn’t the only one who kept misfiring from 3-point distance against the road-weary Dallas Mavericks. Jaylen Brown, Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser combined to make 3 of 14 attempts from that range. Only Luka Garza and Derrick White shot well, hitting 4 of 10 tries from the same distance.
Some of Boston’s misses were wide-open shots that could have been costly for the Mavericks, a team playing the second night of a back-to-back schedule. As the Celtics keep hoisting and muffing long-range shots, the Mavs continue to hang around.
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball and college baseball.
