BOSTON, MA – The Boston Celtics are rolling. They’ve won seven of their last ten, sit comfortably as the second seed in the Eastern Conference, and just knocked off the Phoenix Suns 120-112 at TD Garden. Jaylen Brown dropped 41 points in an MVP-caliber performance. The building was electric.
But after the game, the spotlight shifted to someone else—someone whose journey back to the court has been anything but ordinary.
Jayson Tatum.
And the words came from an unlikely source: Suns guard Devin Booker.
Booker’s Perspective
Booker has been watching Tatum for a long time. Longer than most people realize.
“That’s his makeup. That’s his DNA, that’s his approach,” Booker said after Monday’s loss. “Somebody that I’ve been watching for a really long time since he was in 6th and 7th grade.”
The history between them runs deep. Two players who grew up in the basketball ecosystem, who understood the demands of the game long before they entered the NBA. Two players who have evolved into superstars in their own right.
But what Tatum has done this season—what he’s done over the last few weeks—has resonated with Booker on a different level.
“To watch him evolve, become a champion,” Booker continued. “And then everything he’s accomplished to get back. That’s an inspiration.”
The Comeback
Let’s be clear about what Tatum has overcome.
Last spring, he ruptured his Achilles tendon. For most athletes, that’s a career-altering injury. For many, it’s career-ending. The road back is grueling, painful, and uncertain. The timeline is measured in months, sometimes years.
Most around the league assumed Tatum wouldn’t return for the 2025-26 season.
Tatum had other plans.
On March 6, he stepped back onto the floor at TD Garden against the Dallas Mavericks. The crowd erupted. Tatum finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists in a blowout win. It wasn’t just a return—it was a statement.
Six games later, the numbers tell the story of steady progress: 20.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. Monday night against Phoenix was his most balanced performance yet: 21 points on efficient shooting, seven rebounds, four assists, and the kind of calm presence that iced the game from the free-throw line in the closing seconds.
He’s not all the way back yet. Not statistically, anyway. But he’s getting there. And every game is a step forward.
The Partnership
What makes Tatum’s return even more impactful is the partnership he shares with Jaylen Brown.
While Tatum was working his way back, Brown was carrying the offense. Monday night was his sixth 40-point game of the season—a feat that puts him in the company of Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, and Tatum himself as the only Celtics with six such games in a season.
Now, with Tatum back, the dynamic is shifting. Brown can be the scorer. Tatum can be the facilitator, the rebounder, the glue. They’re learning to play together again, to find the balance that made them champions in 2024.
And if Monday was any indication, they’re figuring it out quickly.
What’s Next: Warriors on Wednesday
The Celtics don’t have time to dwell on the win. Wednesday night, the Golden State Warriors come to town.
The Warriors are a mess. Steph Curry is out with a knee injury. Jimmy Butler III is done for the season after tearing his ACL. Al Horford, Moses Moody, and Seth Curry are all out. Quinten Post and LJ Cryer are questionable. Gary Payton II is probable with a left tibial contusion.
Kristaps Porzingis is expected to play against his former team, despite dealing with illness on and off throughout the year. His availability gives Golden State some size, but the Warriors are still fighting an uphill battle.
At 33-35, they’re clinging to the ninth seed in the Western Conference, trying to stay afloat in the play-in race.
For Boston, Nikola Vučević remains out with a right ring finger fracture. He’ll miss his sixth straight game. The rest of the roster is available.
The Bigger Picture
The Celtics are 45-23. They’re the second seed in the East. They have a superstar duo that’s finally healthy and finding its rhythm. They have depth, experience, and a championship pedigree.
And they have a leader in Jayson Tatum who just got one of the highest compliments a player can receive—not for his stats, not for his highlights, but for his character.
“That’s an inspiration,” Devin Booker said.
From one superstar to another, that’s the highest praise.
The Bottom Line
The Celtics are rolling. Tatum is back. Brown is unstoppable. The Warriors are coming.
And somewhere in the background, Devin Booker’s words linger: “That’s his makeup. That’s his DNA.”
Champions are built that way.