Before the game, Tatum acknowledged he was bracing for a flood of emotions as he prepared to return.\u00a0<\/p>\n
“Stepping onto the court for the first time, I might be emotional, but I’ll be excited,” he said. “I’ll be anxious. And I’ll just be proud of myself that I made it to that point. There’s been some long days over the last 42 weeks.”<\/p>\n
Tatum delivered a double-double in his quicker-than-expected return from the Achilles injury<\/a> he suffered during a playoff game against the New York Knicks. He scored 15 points and pulled down 12 rebounds in 27 minutes as the Celtics beat the Mavericks 120-100 Friday night.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM<\/a><\/p>\n Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum walks off the court after Game 1 of an NBA Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Knicks at TD Garden. (Danielle Parhizkaran\/The Boston Globe)<\/p>\n After the win, Tatum opened up about the hurdles he cleared to get back on the court.<\/p>\n “It was surreal. It was an emotional day. It\u2019s been a long journey. God is the greatest, getting me to this point. Many days I dreamed about this and for it to finally happen and share with my family, my teammates, the crowd. It was everything I could have dreamed of,” Tatum said.<\/p>\n While he learned he was medically cleared in February, Tatum said his mental readiness took longer.<\/p>\n Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) shoots past Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) during the second quarter at TD Garden March 6, 2026, in Boston. (Winslow Townson\/Imagn Images)<\/p>\n “Physically, you’re clear, you can do all the things,” he said. “But it’s a long time that I haven’t competed or played in a game. That mental hurdle is a real thing.”<\/p>\n Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum applauds from the bench in the second quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at TD Garden March 4, 2026. (Danielle Parhizkaran\/The Boston Globe)<\/p>\n Tatum was visibly emotional<\/a> in the locker room moments after suffering the injury May 12.<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n But he worked through long stretches of physical therapy, workouts and the lingering pain of his injury.\u00a0<\/p>\n “I’ve worked relentlessly to get back to myself, to get back to 100%, to go out there and compete.”<\/p>\n Follow Fox News Digital\u2019s sports coverage on X<\/a>, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related Article Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.<\/p>\n![\"Jayson](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/1772946875_992_jayson-tatum-return-2.jpg\")
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