Tatum scores 20 as Celtics defeat Cavaliers 109-98 in second game back from Achilles injury
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CLEVELAND — Jayson Tatum’s comeback tour continued Sunday afternoon with 20 points and a late 3-pointer that sealed the Boston Celtics’ 109-98 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena.
The six-time All-Star, appearing in only his second game since rupturing his right Achilles tendon during the playoffs on May 12, 2025, buried a triple with 1:59 remaining to put Boston ahead for good. The basket accounted for six of his fourth-quarter points and helped the defending Eastern Conference champions improve to 2-0 since his return.
“Today felt a lot more normal, just from a preparation standpoint,” Tatum said. “It felt like being back in the flow again.”
Tatum’s first game back came two nights earlier at TD Garden, where he posted 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in a win over the Dallas Mavericks. Sunday’s road crowd was less accommodating, but a pocket of Celtics supporters — including Tatum’s mother, Brandy Cole-Barnes, who surprised him with the trip — cheered each time he touched the ball.
The 6-foot-8 forward started and logged 27 minutes, matching the 6-for-16 shooting line he recorded against Dallas. He missed all six shots he took in the second and third quarters but found his rhythm in the final seven minutes while sharing the floor with longtime teammates Jaylen Brown and Payton Pritchard.
“We’re glad to have a first-team All-NBA player back who can do it all,” Pritchard said. “It makes us a really good team and he looks unbelievable.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla is limiting Tatum’s minutes as a precaution after 298 days of rehabilitation that began with reconstructive surgery on May 13. Even so, Mazzulla kept his star forward on the court down the stretch to close out the matchup of Eastern Conference contenders.
Source: ESPN
