The last time Jayson Tatum was playing at Madison Square Garden, the Boston Celtics star suffered a torn right Achilles.
And now, he is set to make his return to the court on Thursday, with the Celtics set to face off against the New York Knicks.
“I mean, yeah, I’ve thought about it,” Tatum told reporters (per ESPN). “I’m not like, thrilled, to go back and play there. Last time I played there, obviously, it was a traumatic experience for me.
“Obviously, I knew at some point I would have to get over that hurdle and play there again. So, it’s going to have to be this Thursday. But it’s not like I’m thrilled about it. But it’s part of it. I decided to come back and play, so I’m not necessarily skipping certain games. I can’t play back-to-backs right now, but I decided to come back and play, so it’s just another game on the schedule.”
However, this was something that he wasn’t going to be able to avoid.
“I was going to have to play there at some point,” he said. “So, I might as well get it out of the way.”
There’s A Lot On The Line In Celtics vs. Knicks
GettyJaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics drives against Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks
With a win on Thursday night, the Celtics can clinch the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, with the Detroit Pistons sitting in second.
And, they have their roster back to full strength, having won 13 of 15 games since Tatum’s return.
“Just ramping up at the right time,” Tatum explained. “Knowing that the post-All-Star break is pivotal for teams really trying to compete for a championship. And you want to be physically feeling your best as a unit, playing well together, clicking on all cylinders. And this year is no different. We’ve been playing extremely well going into the playoffs up to this point, and knowing that we’ve got a few games left to feel really good about ourselves and then find out who we’re going to play.”
Jaylen Brown Shows Support For Jayson Tatum
GettyJayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics
While it’s clear that Thursday will be an emotional trip for Tatum, he has the support of his entire team, including fellow Celtics star Jaylen Brown.
“It seems like JT is in a good spot,” Brown said (per The Athletic). “He’s playing good basketball. He’s rebounding the ball. He’s handling those physical drives. Looks more explosive than those first couple of games, so I think he’s trending in the right direction. I don’t know if mentally there possibly could be something, but that’s what teammates are there for. We’ve got his back, so we’ll go out there and do what we got to do.”
With Tatum out for most of the season, Brown truly put the team on his back. And with that, he made history in the team’s win over the Charlotte Hornets, becoming the eight player in franchise history to record 2,000 points in a single season.
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