Jayson Tatum admits feeling anxious about returning to Madison Square Garden to face the Knicks following his traumatic Achilles injury there last season.
The Boston Celtics’ next game will be at Madison Square Garden, facing the New York Knicks for a marquee showdown before the 2025-26 regular season ends.
New York Knicks / Schedule
For Jayson Tatum, the upcoming Knicks matchup at MSG simply holds a significant weight out of what he experienced nearly a year ago there.
“I thought about it. I’m not thrilled to go back and play there—last time I did, it was a traumatic experience,” he told reporters after the Celtics’ 113-102 home win over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. “I knew at some point I’d have to get over that hurdle and play there again, so it’s going to be this Thursday.
“It’s not something I’m excited about, but it’s part of it. I decided to come back and play, so I’m not skipping games.”
Tatum is still definitely having flashbacks in the most devastating moment of his career.
The All-NBA forward notably went down and sustained a brutal right Achilles tendon tear in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Knicks. The injury subsequently forced him to miss the remainder of the series, as the Celtics failed to defend their NBA title in the next two games without his presence.
The Achilles tear sidelined Tatum for most of the 2025-26 season, but he miraculously rejoined the Celtics lineup last month and beat the usual one-year recovery timeframe of the injury.
While he initially struggled, the superstar still remained productive enough to give needed help in Boston’s title push. Across 15 appearances, Tatum is averaging 21.6 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.8 assists.
In the end, despite the fact that Tatum is still dealing with some trauma about the injury he sustained last May, Jaylen Brown made it clear that they will support him entering Thursday’s game at the Garden.
“He’s trending in the right direction. Mentally, it could be something, but that’s what teammates are there for—we’ve got his back, and we go out there and do what we have to do,” Brown said.
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