Thriving Jayson Tatum leads Celtics into battle vs. Hawks

Boston star returns from Achilles injury, looks to continue strong play against surging Atlanta

Mar. 27, 2026 at 4:49am

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Jayson Tatum will attempt to take another step forward in his return from surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon when the Boston Celtics try to cool off the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Friday night. Tatum turned in what was arguably his best performance of the season during Wednesday's 119-109 triumph over Oklahoma City, recording 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists in just over 35 minutes of playing time - the most he's played in a game this season.

Why it matters

The Celtics are 7-2 since Tatum returned to the court after missing time due to the Achilles injury. His continued strong play is crucial for Boston as they look to secure a top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Hawks have won 14 of their last 15 games and are surging up the standings, making this an important matchup between two of the East's top teams.

The details

Tatum said he's still getting used to certain game situations after the injury, but felt Wednesday's high-intensity game against the Thunder was a "step in the right direction." Boston teammate Jaylen Brown praised Tatum's performance, saying it "felt like a playoff game" and was "a great encouraging game" for the star forward. The Hawks, led by Jalen Johnson's big game, narrowly held off the Pistons in overtime on Wednesday to extend their winning streak to three games.

  • Tatum returned to the court for the Celtics in early March 2026 after missing time due to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
  • The Celtics and Hawks will meet again on Monday, March 31, 2026 in Atlanta.

The players

Jayson Tatum

The star forward for the Boston Celtics who is working his way back from a ruptured Achilles tendon injury.

Jaylen Brown

A key teammate of Tatum's on the Celtics who praised Tatum's recent performance as a "step in the right direction" in his recovery.

Jalen Johnson

The leading scorer, rebounder and assist man for the surging Atlanta Hawks this season.

Quin Snyder

The head coach of the Atlanta Hawks, who was pleased with how his team responded after blowing a big lead against the Pistons.

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What they’re saying

“I think that game was awesome. I think that, one, the intensity level of the game was very high. Felt like a playoff game. The crowd was into the game. And I felt like that was a great encouraging game for JT, like, high-level intensity, physical team. And it felt like that was a step in the right direction.”

— Jaylen Brown, Celtics teammate

“It definitely feels different. Just from the standpoint, it's been a while since I've been in certain moments. And sometimes the best moments when I don't have a chance to think, when I've just got to react and I got to move, whether it's coming off a ball screen or on a closeout or you get a rebound and you've just got to take off with the ball. And it will be moments like that and afterwards I'd be like, 'All right, that felt good. That felt normal.'”

— Jayson Tatum

“Being up five (near) the end of regulation, there's a lot of times when that happens and you go to overtime (and) you're a little defeated. That's why it was a really good game for us. We'd like to have played better in that third quarter, but the fact that we responded to it was really good.”

— Quin Snyder, Hawks head coach

What’s next

The Celtics and Hawks will meet again on Monday, March 31, 2026 in Atlanta, providing another opportunity for Tatum to continue his strong play against the surging Hawks.

The takeaway

Tatum's return to form is crucial for the Celtics as they look to secure a top playoff seed, while the Hawks' recent hot streak has them firmly in the mix in the Eastern Conference. This matchup between two of the East's best teams should provide an intense, high-level battle as the regular season winds down.