Jayson Tatum Happy To Leave MSG Unscathed in Loss
Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles tendon about 11 months ago in Madison Square Garden. On Thursday night last week, he returned to the site and emerged unscathed. He admitted it was the lowest point of his life, and there was some admitted fear before the game about going back, but all went well. Well, except that the Boston Celtics lost.
Jayson Tatum emerges from MSG return without incident
Jayson Tatum has been checking a lot of boxes in his return as the Celtics ramp up for what could be a deep playoff run. He returned before anyone expected him to, ramped up his minutes, and rounded back into form. Now, he's also gotten his first MSG outing out of the way before a potential second-round matchup.
If the Celtics and Knicks both advance and hold the seeds they currently do (Boston would need to lose out and New York win out for that to change), then the second round will be Celtics vs. Knicks. Tatum would have to, in that scenario, play at least two games in Madison Square Garden.
Now, though the Celtics lost and left the door open for possible seeding drama the rest of the way, Tatum has made sure that hypothetical playoff series won't be an emotional return to the site of a nearly career-derailing injury.
Relief abounds
Jayson Tatum was asked if he felt a sense of relief after playing 40 minutes, one of the highest totals of the season since coming back, and not getting hurt again at Madison Square Garden. "Absolutely," Tatum said. "It was a big moment, a big hurdle for me. I was nervous and anxious to come back here.
Though he didn't shoot well, Tatum had 24 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists in those 40 minutes. The Celtics fell, however, 112-106, to the Knicks. They are trying to mount a late charge to take the two seed from the Celtics. It's still an uphill battle.
"Obviously, I wanted to win and play great, but more importantly, I just kind of wanted to walk off the floor on my own two feet," Tatum added. The last time he was in MSG, he did not walk out on his own two feet, and he lived with that for about 10 months, not knowing what kind of player he'd be on the other side.
"Huge," Tatum said of the importance of mental victories as he returns from the worst injury he's ever had. "Today was important to me, especially when I made the decision to come back and then made the decision to play today."
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Celtics react
Thursday night was about more than just a game. It was a huge moment for Jayson Tatum. He can be the best player on the floor on any given night, which can change the trajectory of a playoff game and series.
"Jayson was Jayson," Celtics forward Baylor Scheierman said. "Pretty calm, cool, and collected out there. Didn't really notice much of a difference out there tonight. He was just kind of the same as he always is."
Knick reception
The Knicks and Celtics do not like each other. There was always a chance the Knick faithful could've made things difficult. They didn't, though. Tatum nearly made things difficult on his own, but he managed to keep a level head.
"It was a lot," Tatum said. "Especially in the beginning. It took me a while to calm down." He even admitted to having to calm himself down during the game. He told himself to breathe and that things would be just fine.
"I mean, since I've returned, the reception that I've gotten from players, coaches I've never even spoken to, GMs has been great," Tatum said. "Even today when they announced my name, it was kind of loud in there, and that means a lot, obviously, wearing a Celtics uniform that just showing their respect, obviously, because it happened in this building."
It took a lot for the Knicks crowd to do that, and it's not lost on the Boston forward.
