Jayson Tatum Returns, Celtics Roll Past Mavericks

Merlin sees Jayson Tatum return to action Friday after a torn right Achilles, posting 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in 27 minutes. He jump-started the Celtics with a pick-and-roll to Neemias Queta, hit corner threes and helped fuel a 22-5 fourth-quarter surge. After a 298-day absence there was some rust, but the night felt more like promise than proof. Merlin notes Boston is 42-21 and four games back of Detroit, so every healthy minute from Tatum changes the map. LeBron and others celebrated the milestone, and a three-game road trip starting in Cleveland will be the first real test of his stamina. If his body holds up, the Celtics’ ceiling rises; if not, careful minutes will shape the next chapter.