Celtics’ Jayson Tatum fulfills another milestone with return to Madison Square Garden
NEW YORK — Jayson Tatum has achieved a great deal in his basketball journey. The star forward for the Boston Celtics has secured an NBA championship, earned multiple All-NBA selections, and holds two Olympic gold medals.
However, none of those accomplishments could fully prepare him for the feelings he experienced on Thursday night at Madison Square Garden.
Tatum returned to the site he referred to as the “lowest point of his life” — when he ruptured his Achilles tendon against the New York Knicks during the Eastern Conference semifinals 11 months prior.
“Absolutely,” Tatum responded when asked if he felt a sense of relief after recording 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists in 40 minutes during Boston’s 112-106 defeat to New York. “It was a significant moment, a major hurdle for me. I was nervous and anxious to come back here.
“Of course, I wanted to win and perform well, but more importantly, I just wanted to leave the court on my own two feet.”
In the past month, Tatum has ticked off numerous milestones: returning to play; logging substantial minutes (including 39 and 40 in Boston’s last two outings); and gradually resembling the player who was named to the All-NBA First Team for the past four seasons.
One of the last milestones to achieve was a return to Madison Square Garden. Not only did Tatum accomplish this, but he did so in the manner he desired: healthy and without complications.
“Jayson was Jayson,” Celtics forward Baylor Scheierman remarked. “Pretty calm, cool, and collected out there. Didn’t really notice much of a difference from him tonight.
“He was just kind of the same as he always is.”
Tatum is not participating in both nights of back-to-backs, so he had to choose whether to play Thursday here or Friday in Boston against the New Orleans Pelicans. He mentioned that he made that decision a few days prior.
Ultimately, the desire to erase the unpleasant memory of playing here, along with the associated emotions, outweighed the option of waiting for a potential matchup with New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals in a few weeks.
“It was a lot,” Tatum stated. “Especially at the start. It took me a while to settle down.”
His performance wasn’t flawless — he shot 2-for-10 from beyond the arc and committed six turnovers — but ultimately, none of that will hold much significance. The Celtics are nearly guaranteed to secure the No. 2 seed in the Eastern playoffs and are likely to face either the Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, or Charlotte Hornets in the opening round. A possible rematch with New York would follow.
He acknowledged that at times during Thursday’s game, he had to remind himself to breathe and that everything would ultimately be fine. He expressed satisfaction in leaving Madison Square Garden with a mental victory — even in defeat.
“Huge,” he noted regarding the significance of such victories during his recovery. “Today was important to me, especially after deciding to return and then choosing to play today.
“I’m glad I did. I feel a lot better.”
Tatum’s return has positioned Boston as the betting favorite to reach the NBA Finals for a third time in five years, a remarkable assertion considering his injury and the numerous departures from the Celtics roster through trades and free agency over the past year.
Nonetheless, all of that was secondary on Thursday to Tatum being back on the court and completing the game without injury.
He expressed gratitude for the support he has received since his return, such as when Knicks fans — not typically known for their friendliness towards their rivals to the Northeast — applauded him during his introduction, or when New York star Jalen Brunson mentioned how pleased he is to see Tatum back on the court and healthy during his televised postgame interview.
“I mean, since I’ve returned, the reception I’ve received from players, coaches I’ve never even spoken to, GMs, has been wonderful,” Tatum remarked. “Even today when they announced my name, it was quite loud in there, and that means a lot, obviously, wearing a Celtics uniform, showing their respect, especially because it happened in this building.
“I appreciated that.”
