{"id":92472,"date":"2026-03-06T20:16:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-06T23:16:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/celtics-jayson-tatum-achilles-to-start-in-return-vs-mavs\/"},"modified":"2026-03-06T20:16:25","modified_gmt":"2026-03-06T23:16:25","slug":"celtics-jayson-tatum-achilles-to-start-in-return-vs-mavs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ubirataonline.com.br\/en\/celtics-jayson-tatum-achilles-to-start-in-return-vs-mavs\/","title":{"rendered":"Celtics’ Jayson Tatum (Achilles) to start in return vs. Mavs"},"content":{"rendered":"

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BOSTON — Celtics<\/a> star Jayson Tatum<\/a>‘s belated birthday present to himself is a return to the game that was abruptly taken away from him last season.<\/p>\n

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum will start the team’s Friday night home matchup with the Dallas Mavericks<\/a>, in Tatum’s season debut almost 10 months after having surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon.<\/p>\n

He was listed as questionable for the game Thursday before being upgraded to available on Friday afternoon. Tatum had been listed as sidelined and undergoing rehabilitation for the injury he suffered during Game 4 of Boston’s Eastern Conference semifinal loss to the New York Knicks<\/a> last May.<\/p>\n

Tatum, who turned 28 this week, previously indicated his return to the court would be for a home game. That time has apparently arrived.<\/p>\n

“We always knew he was coming back this year,” Mazzulla said Friday. “I think I knew that when he decided to have surgery within 16 hours … whatever the case was.”<\/p>\n

“I mean, it wasn’t a thousand percent sure,” Mazzulla added, “but I knew it was going to do everything possible to be in position to make a decision to come back.”<\/p>\n