Getty
Joe Mazzulla, Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics head to Los Angeles on Sunday night having won eight of their last ten games. The second half of the season has started the right way. Jaylen Brown posted a triple double against Golden State, with Payton Pritchard adding 26 points off the bench. The win moved Boston to 36-19, good for second in the Eastern Conference.
Jayson Tatum travelled with the team to California. He has not played a single game this season while recovering from the torn Achilles he suffered in last year’s playoffs. On Saturday, he stepped in front of reporters and addressed his status directly.
The Celtics released their injury report ahead of Sunday’s game at Crypto.com Arena. The news on Tatum was not surprising, but what he said about his return carried weight.
Tatum Addresses His Status
Tatum appeared at practice on Saturday and spoke to reporters before the session began. He was measured and deliberate, pushing back against the growing speculation around a specific return date.
“I do not have a date,” Tatum said. “Like I said I’m taking it one day at a time, I feel better than I did yesterday…and that’s what’s most important.”
He was also asked on where things actually stand in his recovery, making clear that the process is progressing but that a timetable remains off the table.
“It was a little five-on-five,” Tatum said. “It’s tough to go into detail on every single thing I’m doing every day, but I will say I’m just getting acclimated more and doing little things with some of the guys out there, but it’s all part of rehab and just going with the plan.”
The message was consistent throughout. Tatum will not play until he is 100 percent. He does not have a return date in mind. Every day that he feels better than the previous one is the goal. Nothing more, nothing less.
Tatum is listed as out for Sunday’s game. And the speculation around a March 1st return remains exactly that for now.
What Boston Faces in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Lakers enter Sunday’s matchup fully healthy. Luka Doncic returned from his hamstring injury and posted 38 points in a 125-122 win over the Clippers on Friday night. LeBron James is available after missing time earlier this season with sciatica and foot soreness. Austin Reaves is off his minutes restriction after returning from a calf strain that cost him 19 games.
The three of them have shared the floor together in just ten games all season. Sunday night could be a real test of what this Lakers roster looks like at full strength against a contender.
The matchup presents a genuine challenge for a Boston defense that has been one of the best in the league all season.
Brown and White Continue Leading the Celtics
Derrick White is having the best season of his career. He is averaging career highs in points at 17.2, assists at 5.6, blocks at 1.4, and steals at 1.2 per game. Over the last six games as the primary playmaker, he has posted a 42 to 8 assist to turnover ratio while averaging seven assists per night.
The numbers reflect a player who has found his role and is thriving in it. White does not need to carry the scoring load. He needs to facilitate, defend, and make the right plays. He is doing all three at an elite level.
Brown anchors everything else. His 29.2 points, 7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game represent MVP-caliber production that has carried Boston through the season.
Sunday night against Doncic will be the most compelling individual matchup of the second half so far.
GettyDerrick White and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics.
Final Word for the Celtics
Jayson Tatum is taking it one day at a time. A return feels imminent, but Boston has built something real in his absence. Thirty-six wins. Second in the East. A roster that has answered every challenge presented so far.
Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena is the next one. The Lakers are healthy. Doncic is back. The building will be full.
Brown and White will have to be at their best. They have been before. And when Tatum eventually walks back onto the floor, a contender becomes one of the favorites.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
More Heavy on Celtics
Loading more stories