After 298 days! Celtics officially announce Tatum's return, partnering with Brown to chase championship again.

On March 7 Beijing time, the Celtics have listed Tatum in the lineup for today's home game against the Mavericks, meaning he is set to make a remarkable return after suffering an Achilles tear in last year's playoffs. After 298 days, less than 10 months, Tatum is back! He will partner with Jaylen Brown to pursue the championship once more.

It was initially expected that the Celtics' strength would decline this season without Tatum, but they have instead firmly held the second place in the Eastern Conference. Now, this team that has won 7 of its last 9 games will welcome back this six-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA core player.

Tatum's return comes less than 10 months after he tore his right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks. He is expected to have minutes restrictions or be under a load management strategy, but the Celtics have no back-to-back games in their next 12 matches; the next back-to-back is scheduled for March 30 and 31. This will allow Tatum to get consistent playing time on court, gradually regain form, and build momentum for the playoff push—the Celtics are still viewed as a favorite to emerge from the East.

Last season, Tatum averaged 26.8 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 6.0 assists per game for the Celtics. After today's home game against the Mavericks, the Celtics will face three playoff-caliber teams on consecutive road trips: Monday against the Cavaliers, Wednesday against the Spurs, and Friday against the Thunder.

Tatum ruptured his right Achilles tendon in Game 4 of the second round of the playoffs against the Knicks last May and underwent repair surgery the next day. He was one of three Eastern Conference stars who suffered Achilles tears in the 2025 playoffs, the other two being Damian Lillard and Tyrese Haliburton.

Tatum, nearly 8 years younger than Lillard and injured about 6 weeks earlier than Haliburton, did not have his season declared over early like the other two. The Celtics never issued such a statement, and Tatum stated early in his recovery that he hoped to return ahead of the typical rehabilitation timeline, before the end of the 2025/26 season.

Tatum repeatedly emphasized that he would not return unless he felt 100% healthy and ready both physically and mentally. As he began participating in 5-on-5 scrimmages with the Celtics' main team and their affiliated G League team this winter, his return became increasingly likely.

According to reporter Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, making his return at home has always been Tatum's priority.

"I'm sure of one thing," Tatum said last September, "my first comeback game will definitely be at home, at TD Garden. It might be emotional, but I'm really looking forward to it—running through the tunnel, standing on the court with our fans again, sharing that moment with them."

After Tatum's injury, the Celtics made further salary-reducing moves in the offseason, trading away key players like Holiday, Porzingis, Horford, and Kornet. There was a period when it was thought the 2025-26 season might be a transitional year for the Celtics, temporarily stepping back from championship contention to regroup for 2026-27.

But even without this perennial team scoring leader, the Celtics have performed excellently, achieving a 41-21 record so far this season, firmly holding second place in the East, while possessing the league's second-best offensive efficiency and seventh-best defensive efficiency. This season, Jaylen Brown has become the offensive focal point, averaging 28.9 points and 5.0 assists, both career highs.

With Brown already carrying the team, integrating Tatum back into the lineup will be one of the challenges the Celtics face in the final weeks of the regular season. Tatum admitted in January that, when weighing whether to return this season, concern about disrupting the team's existing chemistry was one factor he considered, but he later also expressed confidence that he and the team could mesh well.

"I know what I can bring to the team, but I also know these guys are playing incredibly well," he said. "It's not like I'm coming back to mess everything up or anything. I think that was just a moment of honesty, speaking my mind from that perspective."