The Boston Celtics have entered the postseason with sky-high expectations, and they proved exactly why during their 123-91 blowout victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 1 of their first-round series. The C’s dominated the Sixers on both sides of the ball, with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown teaming up to score 51 points for their team.
Tatum, in particular, starred in this win, as he finished with 25 points, 11 rebounds, and seven assists on an efficient 9/17 shooting. Considering how he suffered a torn Achilles tendon not even a year ago, Tatum’s performance was simply remarkable. However, he kept it real when discussing his injury status after this resounding win.
Jayson Tatum Dishes on Injury Status
“I’m still rehabbing. I’m still returning. I mean, I returned to play, obviously, but, you know, I still attack rehab every single day.”
After Tatum suffered his aforementioned injury in last year’s playoffs, it seemed like he was going to be set to miss the entire 2025-26 campaign. Instead, he made incredible progress throughout his injury rehab process, and he managed to get himself back on the court in March, giving him some time to get ready for the playoffs.
Tatum understandably had to shake off some rust once he returned to the court, but his numbers during his initial 16-game stint are quite impressive (21.8 PPG, 10 RPG, 5.3 APG, 41.1 FG%). For the most part, Tatum looks like his old self, and now that he’s back on the floor, Boston has legitimate title hopes this postseason.
Even though he appeared to be in complete control against the 76ers in Game 1, Tatum reminded folks that he still isn’t 100% himself just yet. Tatum admitted after the game that he is still working on his injury rehab for his Achilles, and that while he’s already playing at a high level, he still has a lot of work to do on a regular basis in order to ensure he’s good to go come game time.
“I’m still rehabbing. I’m still returning,” Tatum said during his postgame press conference. “I returned to play, obviously, but I still attack rehab every single day … Still just trying to ramp up. I got to play 16 games, so for me, it’s just all about conditioning and still attacking rehab every single day.”
Jayson Tatum Looking to Lead Celtics on Another Finals Run
GettyJayson Tatum warned the Celtics about getting complacent after their blowout victory over the Sixers
Boston was one of the top teams in the NBA this season, even without Tatum at its disposal. Now that he’s back and looking like himself, the Celtics are one of the deepest teams in the league. Tatum still is working on staying as healthy as possible, so the fact that he has another level that he can hit is a worrisome prospect for the rest of the league.
The C’s have made it clear that, even though they beat the Sixers by 32 points, they aren’t taking their opponent lightly. Boston knows it still has a lot of work to do, and it will start with aiming to take a commanding 2-0 series lead on Tuesday night at 7 p.m. ET when the team takes the court for Game 2.
Jayson Tatum Issues Injury Admission After Celtics’ Dominant Game 1 Win