Jayson Tatum is not eager to return to the arena where, 11 months ago, his basketball life flashed before his eyes.

But return, he must.

The Celtics will visit the New York Knicks this Thursday, marking Tatum’s first return to Madison Square Garden as an active player since he ruptured his Achilles there in Game 4 of last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals.

Asked after Tuesday’s 113-102 win over the Charlotte Hornets whether he was looking forward to his upcoming trip to MSG, the Celtics star replied: “Uh, nah, not really.”

“I mean, 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 at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday. But it’s not like I’m thrilled about it.

“But it’s part of it. I decided to come back and play, so I’m not necessarily 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.”

Tatum has referenced the physical and mental toll his injury took in nearly every media appearance since his return to the lineup, his grueling rehab process never far from his mind. Those feelings are sure to intensify once the Celtics arrive in New York, where they have played just once this season (Tatum attended that Oct. 24 game but did not dress).

“I was going to have to play there at some point,” Tatum reiterated, “so I might as well get it out of the way now.”

On the court, though, Tatum has not looked like a player who is less than a year removed from Achilles surgery. He’s averaged 21.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.4 steals across his first 15 appearances, with Boston posting a 13-2 record in those games. He ranks third in the NBA in defensive rebounds per game, trailing only elite bigs Nikola Jokic and Victor Wembanyama, and has improved as a shooter after an early slump, making 40.9% of his 3-pointers over his last five games.

“It seems like JT is in a good spot,” co-star Jaylen Brown said. “He’s playing good basketball. He’s rebounding the ball, he’s handling those physical drives, looks more explosive than those first couple of games, so I think he’s trending in the right direction. I don’t know if mentally, there possibly could be something (about Thursday’s game), but that’s what teammates are there for. We’ve got his back, so we’ll go out there and do what we’ve got to do.”

Tatum confirmed he does intend to play against the Knicks, meaning he’ll likely sit out Friday night’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Boston will finish the regular season Sunday against the Orlando Magic at TD Garden.

“Hopefully I ain’t breaking no rule, but yeah, I plan on playing Thursday,” Tatum said.

A win over New York (or in either of their final two games) would lock the Celtics into the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference for the second straight season. With the Knicks currently sitting third, one game up on the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers, a playoff rematch could await if both teams win their first-round series.

“(We’re) just ramping up at the right time, knowing that post-All-Star break is pivotal for teams really trying to compete for a championship,” Tatum said. “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.”