Boston Celtics
“Last time I played there, obviously it was a traumatic experience for me.”
Jayson Tatum Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
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The last time Jayson Tatum suited up for a road game at Madison Square Garden, he crumpled to the floor writhing in pain after rupturing his Achilles tendon while chasing after a loose ball.
The injury ended Tatum’s season and deflated the Celtics‘ hopes for a title defense.
Now, roughly 11 months later, Tatum is set to return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since the injury occurred. The Celtics will travel to New York for a matchup with the Knicks on Thursday night.
“Yeah, I’ve thought about it,” Tatum said. “I’m not like thrilled to go back and play there. Last time I played there, obviously it was a traumatic experience for me. Obviously I knew that I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. It’s going to have to be this Thursday, I’m not thrilled about it.”
“But, it’s part of it. I decided to come back and play. So, I’m not like skipping certain games. I can’t play back-to-backs right now, but I decided to come back and play so it’s just another game on the schedule.”
TV cameras showed Tatum in tears shortly after the injury as he rolled down a hallway in a wheelchair. After a lengthy recovery process, Tatum felt good enough to return to the court last month.
“It seems like JT is in a good spot,” Celtics guard Jaylen Brown said. “He’s playing good basketball, rebounding the ball, handling those physical drives. He looks more explosive than he had in those first couple of games. I think he’s trending in the right direction.”
“I don’t know, mentally there could be something, but that’s what your teammates are there for. We’ve got his back. We’ll go out there and do what we’ve got to do.”
Tatum’s recovery has been a smooth one for the most part. His shooting touch is still a work in progress, but he’s averaging 10 rebounds per game for the first time in his career. His assists are slightly down from last season, but so are his turnovers.
His presence on the glass, defensive versatility, and ability as a scoring threat have all made him a valuable addition to the lineup during this final stretch of the season.
“I think the entire process leading up from Day 1 after the surgery put him in position to be able to do that,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “Just how he approached the entire journey. The people around him put him in position to be where he’s at now and it all goes together, how he approached that day, how he approached recovery, how he approached every step of the way that he’s taken.”
“He did it with a lot of hard work and diligence with Nick, and his family and great people around him. I think that kind of set him up to be where he is now and really to be even better in the future.”
Tatum said previously that the team’s success while he was out was part of the reason he decided to come back this season.
The Celtics will likely enter the playoffs as the No. 2 seed, the same position they were in last season. A second-round playoff rematch with the Knicks isn’t out of the question.
But first, the Celtics have to close out the regular season and gear up for the opening round which starts next week.
“Just ramping up at the right time,” Tatum said. “Knowing that post All-Star break is pivotal for teams really trying to compete for a championship. And you want to be physically feeling your best as a unit, playing well together, clicking on all cylinders. And this year is no different.”
“We’ve been playing extremely well going into the playoffs up to this point and knowing that we’ve got a few games left to feel really good about ourselves and then find out who we’re going to play.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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