![\"Jayson](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jayson-Tatum.jpg\")
Jayson Tatum faces the Knicks for the first time since he ruptured his Achilles at the Garden during the playoffs last season. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\nThere are so many factors that make Thursday\u2019s showdown between the Knicks and Celtics at Madison Square Garden bigger than just a regular-season game.<\/p>\n
For starters, it will be the first time the Knicks face Jayson Tatum this year. It will mark Tatum\u2019s 16th game back since his remarkably quick recovery from a ruptured Achilles.<\/p>\n
If the Knicks lose, it will end their pursuit of the No. 2 seed in the East. They are still trying to stave off the Cavaliers from overtaking them for the No. 3 seed, too.<\/p>\n
And it very well could be the final preview of a likely playoff rematch. If the teams finish as the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds, they will be on a collision course to meet in the second round \u2014 just like last year \u2014 as long as they take care of business in the first round.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m a big believer in taking care of the present and then I\u2019ll take care of the future,\u201d Karl-Anthony Towns said after practice Wednesday. \u201cRight now, we just gotta stay in the present. [Thursday] is the most important game because it\u2019s the next game of the season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jaylen Brown (who is questionable for Thursday\u2019s game with left Achilles tendinitis), a near lock to make All-NBA First Team, has helped carry the Celtics in what most thought would be a transition year \u2014 with Tatum sidelined for most of it and after Boston parted with several veterans in the offseason.<\/p>\n
Now he has his co-star back, even if Tatum has looked a bit rusty. The Celtics are 13-2 in the 15 games Tatum has played since returning. When both are clicking, they are as good a 1-2 punch as any in the league. And it\u2019s a duo that the Knicks and president Leon Rose had in mind when constructing the roster, pairing OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges as wing defenders to guard them.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoth those guys are capable of erupting for 40 on any given night,\u201d coach Mike Brown said Wednesday. \u201cThey take the load off of each other when it comes to scoring, which makes them extremely dangerous. That\u2019s probably the biggest thing.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s meaningful for Tatum: MSG is where he suffered the injury during Game 4 of last year\u2019s series.<\/p>\n
Jayson Tatum faces the Knicks for the first time since he ruptured his Achilles at the Garden during the playoffs last season. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not, like, thrilled to go back and play there,\u201d Tatum said Tuesday. \u201cLast time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me. <\/p>\n
\u201cObviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it\u2019s going to have to be this Thursday. But it\u2019s not like I\u2019m thrilled about it. But it\u2019s part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Knicks, for their own part, are happy they\u2019re getting the Celtics at their best. <\/p>\n
\u201cTo have him on the court, to me it\u2019s an honor to be able to go against one of the best,\u201d Towns said, \u201cand I want to be able to go out there and test my skills against the best.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"Jayson](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/Jayson-Tatum-2.jpg\")
Jayson Tatum drives on Jaime Jaquez Jr. during the Celtics\u2019 blowout win over the Heat on April 1, 2026 in Miami. Sam Navarro-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
Added Bridges: \u201cFor him to get back, obviously the time is amazing, how he got it done in a quicker time. But that just shows his work ethic and the people he\u2019s working with and his body, how it can speed up and heal faster than others. Credit to him and his people.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mike Brown described Tatum as \u201ca great human being.\u201d<\/p>\n
There is a different sentiment with Jaylen Brown, though. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n