Tatum's 'emotional' return sparks Celtics over Mavs
Tatum, making his first appearance since suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon during the playoffs last May, scored 15 points to help the Celtics secure a commanding win.
Boston's packed TD Garden had risen as one to give the popular 28-year-old a rousing standing ovation as he took to the court for the first time in 298 days.
The six-time NBA All-Star looked apprehensive during a slow start but looked like his old self after bagging his first points late in the second quarter.
A two-point tip-in dunk got him off the mark, and he followed that up with a confident step-back three-pointer from the corner immediately afterwards to give the Celtics a 55-53 lead.
He added 10 more points in the second half as Boston pulled clear for a win which leaves the second-placed Celtics on 42-21 in the Eastern Conference, hard on the heels of the Detroit Pistons (45-16).
"It was surreal, it was an emotional day," Tatum told ESPN after the win. "Many days I dreamed about this and it's great to finally happen. And sharing it with my family, my teammates and the crowd was everything I ever dreamed of."
Tatum admitted that during a long, lonely rehab he had even questioned whether he would be able to return.
"It's been tough," he said. "A lot of times I doubted myself. A lot of nights I spent crying. But I just tried to keep showing up every day and put my best foot forward. I've still got a long way to go but this is a huge step for me."
Tatum added that his teammates' impressive form this season had helped motivate him to return.
"Being around these guys motivated me – the way they've attacked the season, the way they've competed together," he said.
"Going through rehab is lonely, you kind of feel isolated. You just can't be out there. But being around them as much as I possibly could just still made me feel like I was part of the group and that helped me a lot."
Tatum was one part of a balanced Boston offensive performance in Friday's win. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scorers with 24 points, while Derrick White added 20. Payton Pritchard also caught the eye with 18 points off the bench.
Klay Thompson led the Mavericks' scoring with 19 points off the bench including five three-pointers.