Boston Celtics
“We have a great understanding of what it means to win. We’ve won for a long time.”
TD Garden rose as one throughout Friday’s game between the Celtics and Mavericks.
Such was the expected cacophony of cheers on Causeway Street, especially on a night where Jayson Tatum made his long-awaited return to the parquet floor.
Less than 10 months after he first hit the hardwood at Madison Square Garden with a ruptured Achilles, the Celtics’ superstar forward looked no worse for wear in a 120-100 win over the Mavs — posting 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists over 27 minutes of work.
Friday’s electric atmosphere marked the latest high mark in a Celtics season where limited expectations in the fall have given way to title hopes in a few short months.
That hasn’t been lost on Jaylen Brown — the primary play-driver in Boston’s improbable surge back into contention.
“I thought it was great,” Brown said postgame of the crowd at TD Garden. “It was great having JT back. I commend him on being able to put himself on the line a little bit to come back and be a part of something bigger. I think that’s his mentality, so I appreciate that and I know the organization appreciates that because he didn’t have to. And nobody put pressure on him, but he wanted to be out there. It’s commendable.”
The Celtics — already sitting in second place in the Eastern Conference standings — are undoubtedly a better team with Tatum now back on the court.
Even if a rusty Tatum is operating at 75 percent of his normal capabilities this season, his shooting touch, versatile defensive game, playmaking, and other malleable aspects of his skillset make him the ideal late-season addition for Joe Mazzulla’s club.
That might also cut into Brown’s standing as Boston’s go-to scorer and offensive conduit — a role that he relished this season when tasked with keeping the Celtics afloat during Tatum’s extended absence.
But don’t count Brown among those bemoaning those changing circumstances — not with his longtime teammate now back on the court for the stretch run.
Even before Tatum took to the court on Friday night, Brown noted on the “Cousins” podcast with Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady that a healthy Tatum benefits all parties this spring.
“We both are on the same page; we had a good talk today about what we want,” Brown told McGrady and Carter in a clip released Friday evening. “We talked about just the mindset that we both want to come back and add to winning. We have a great understanding of what it means to win. We’ve won for a long time. We know how to find success. We’re on the same page.”
Their roles might be a bit different this spring, given Tatum’s injury and the expected growing pains he’ll need to fight through as he returns from such a severe injury.
But Brown believes the Celtics — after months spent building toward this moment — are well-equipped to seize the opportunity in front of them before this unexpected title run.
“We have a challenge in front of us this year,” Brown said. “I think challenges are what make you great. Our challenge is trying to lead another deep playoff run. So balancing all that at the same time as welcoming our brother back onto the floor, it’s going to be a great challenge for me.
“It’s going to be a great challenge for all of us. It’s going to test all of our patience. It’s going to test our humility. All of the above. We just gotta be prepared for there to be some ups and downs. I’m prepared for that. How you handle adversity will be kind of a measure. So this is a big week coming up.”
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