The crowd at TD Garden had a memorable night on Friday as they witnessed the long-awaited season debut of Jayson Tatum.
After months of recovery from a serious Achilles injury, the Boston Celtics star finally returned to the court and helped his team secure a 120–100 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The victory improved the Boston Celtics’ record to 41-21 and gave fans plenty of reasons to celebrate.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Recent Message for Jayson Tatum
Tatum’s return was not just special for Celtics fans. Players from around the league were also happy to see him back on the floor after such a difficult recovery process.
Among them was Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, who kept his message short but meaningful.
“Welcome back 0,” Haliburton wrote on Instagram.
Other stars, like LeBron James, also shared messages welcoming Tatum back.
“WELCOME BACK BIG DEUCE!!! @jaytatum0,” James wrote on X after the Celtics won Friday’s game.
The support wasn’t just from other teams’ players. Tatum’s own teammate, Jaylen Brown, had plenty of praise for him before the opening tip.
“First, I want to commend JT for even having the notion that he wants to come back. Him wanting to return is an unselfish act; putting his body on the line in order for us to accomplish something great.”
“We’re both on the same page and had a good talk about the mindset we want to come back with and what we want to add to winning,” Brown said in a recent podcast appearance.
When Friday’s game started, the Celtics started a bit slow. After the first quarter, Boston trailed the Mavericks by 1 point. However, the momentum shifted in the second quarter. The Celtics scored 37 points in the period. By halftime, they had built a five-point lead.
From there, the Celtics took control of the game. In the third quarter, Boston continued its strong play, adding another 32 points. Moreover, in the fourth quarter, the Celtics had the largest lead of the game, 25 points. The Mavericks could not handle that pressure and lost the game.
DON’T MISS: Jayson Tatum Stats and Highlights: How Did the Celtics Superstar Perform in His Highly Anticipated Return?
Tatum played a solid all-around game in his first appearance of the 2025-26 season as he finished the night with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists.
While Tatum celebrated his return, Haliburton continues to deal with his own injury setback. The Pacers star suffered a torn Achilles tendon during Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. His recovery process has also had its challenges.
During rehabilitation, Haliburton reportedly gained about 30 pounds while focusing on recovery and strength work. He has progressed to playing 4-on-4 during rehab, which is a positive sign. However, he was also diagnosed with shingles in February 2026, adding another hurdle to his comeback.
Haliburton is not expected to return this season, and the focus is on getting fully healthy for next year. Just as many players supported Tatum during his recovery, Pacers fans will now hope to see Haliburton make a strong return of his own next season.
