FINAL: Celtics 120, Mavericks 100 - Jayson Tatum's return fuels Boston win

BOSTON CELTICS (41-21) at DALLAS MAVERICKS (21-41)

Location: TD Garden, Boston, MA

Game time: 7:00 p.m.

TV: ESPN

Radio: 98.5 The Sports Hub

Celtics injury report update: Nikola Vucevic has been ruled out of tonight's game vs. the Mavericks with a right ring finger fracture, per Celtics PR.

Celtics injury report:

• Jayson Tatum - AVAILABLE (right Achilles repair )

• Jordan Walsh - OUT (non-Covid illness)

• Baylor Scheierman - AVAILABLE (left thumb fracture)

Mavericks injury report:

• Marvin Bagley III - OUT - (neck sprain)

• Moussa Cisse - AVAILABLE (G League, two-way)

• Daniel Gafford - OUT (right ankle injury management)

• Kyrie Irving - OUT (left knee surgery)

• Dereck Lively II - OUT (right foto surgery)

• John Poulakidas - OUT (G League, two-way)

• Tyler Smith - OUT (G League, two-way)

• Klay Thompson - AVAILABLE (right adductor contusion)

• Brandon Williams AVAILABLE (left quad contusion)

What to watch for: This is it. Jayson Tatum is back.

Despite being listed as questionable, all signs point toward the Boston Celtics superstar making his season debut on Friday night against the Dallas Mavericks.

Tatum has been recovering from a ruptured Achilles, which he suffered in the second round of last year’s playoffs.

“Obviously, we see the work he puts in every day,” Sam Hauser said at shootaround on Friday morning. “He's in the weight room constantly. He's getting his treatment, doing his rehab, getting on the court, getting work in. So, just watching from afar, it's been cool to see the progression he's made and how fast it's been. So, whenever he says he's ready to go, he'll be ready to go.”

Though not on the court, Tatum has been present around the Celtics all year long. They’re more than confident in their ability to integrate him into everything they’ve been doing.

“He's been around, so I think he'll be able to fit right in,” Hauser said. “We'll be able to fit around him, if that's the case. But overall, just preparing for tonight, and what's at stake for tonight. Just get a win.”

Tale of the tape: In their first matchup with the Mavericks this season, on February 3, the Celtics picked up a 110-100 victory. Cooper Flagg scored 36 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Jaylen Brown’s 33 and Payton Pritchard’s 26 off the pine.

Flagg, a native of Newport, Maine, and a lifelong Celtics fan, will be playing in his first-ever game at TD Garden on Friday. But in his potential return, Tatum will look to spoil the fun.

“If it does happen, it'd be awesome,” Hauser said of Tatum’s potential return. “The crowd will probably love it. But we're just worried about trying to get a win. That's the main thing for all of us. We're preparing for the Dallas Mavericks, and we had a lot of things clean up from the first time we played them, so we're trying to work on that and get better, and hopefully come out on top.”

Last game: Tatum’s presence will aim to distract from the Celtics’ disastrous 118-89 loss to the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.

It was an ugly showing by Boston. They missed layups, got torched in drop coverage, and failed to generate any semblance of consistent offense.

Friday night, with Tatum as the headliner, will serve as the Celtics’ chance for a bounce-back performance.

Standings check-in: Boston’s loss to Charlotte put them 4.5 games back of the first-place Detroit Pistons and just 1.5 games up on the third-place New York Knicks.

Mavericks check-in: It’s been a rough year for the Mavericks, who will be on the second night of a back-to-back on Friday. They lost to the Orlando Magic by way of a Wendell Carter Jr. game-winner on Thursday night.

Flagg played in his first game since February 10 on Thursday against the Magic. He missed eight straight games with a left midfoot sprain.

The Maine product has been enjoying a phenomenal rookie campaign. He’s averaging 20.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.9 blocks while shooting 47.8% from the floor and 30.1% from deep on 3.5 three-point attempts (in 33.9 minutes per game).

Dallas has lost five games in a row and is 2-8 in their last 10.

Naji Marshall has been playing well, putting up 18.6 points per contest in his last eight games. PJ Washington (15.7 points in his last seven) and Brandon Williams (14.8 in his last nine) have been right behind him.

The Mavericks’ trade-deadline additions (via the Anthony Davis trade) have been playing well, too. Marvin Bagley III is averaging 12.5 rebounds and 8.3 rebounds in his last six games, and Khris Middleton is putting up 12.9 in his last 10.

One fun play: In honor of Tatum’s return, let’s take a look at a play from last season. But not a Tatum play fans typically think of.

Obviously, Tatum can score the ball. He can pass, defend, and rebound. But his gravity alone is what will help the Celtics most.

Watch this play. Luke Kornet has the ball at the top of the key, and Hauser sets an off-ball screen for Tatum to cut to the basket. The Hornets go over the screen to take away the three, but look at how worried they are about him getting open.

Charlotte effectively sends two bodies toward Tatum, giving Hauser space to sprint to the top of the key, get a screen from Kornet, and bury a triple.

Tatum’s mere presence on the court is going to open up so much for the Celtics’ offense.