Jayson Tatum will make his season debut with the Boston Celtics Friday night.<\/p>\n
The Celtics upgraded Tatum<\/a> to available on the injury report Friday afternoon, just a few hours before their game against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. He was listed as questionable<\/a>\u00a0Thursday for the first time all season after tearing his right Achilles last May in the playoffs.<\/p>\n Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said Tatum will be in the starting lineup.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Celtics have 20 games left in the season and are currently in second place in the Eastern Conference, four-and-a-half games behind the Detroit Pistons. With Tatum out for most of this season, many expected the Celtics to struggle.<\/p>\n Tatum tore his right Achilles<\/a> late in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on May 12, 2025.<\/p>\n Just a day later, the Celtics announced that Tatum had already had\u00a0surgery<\/a>. Medical experts said that because Tatum underwent surgery so quickly, it could expedite his recovery. Typical recovery from a torn Achilles is at least 9 to 12 months. Tatum has been out for nearly 10 months.<\/p>\n