It took Jayson Tatum just 27 minutes to remind the world what he's capable of

The Boston Celtics bounced back big time with a huge 120-100 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. What started as a back-and-forth battle wound up a blowout after Boston dominated the fourth quarter.

Here's what stood out:

Welcome back, Jayson Tatum

It finally happened. After 10 months of hard work and recovery from his torn Achilles tendon, Jayson Tatum returned to action for the Celtics. There were some awesome moments sprinkled throughout Tatum’s big night, but it was far from perfect.

After what was an incredible pregame introduction from Celtics public address announcer, Eddie Palladino, Tatum got off to a cold start -- scoring-wise, at least.

The Celtics’ star missed his first six attempts from the field, including what would’ve been a loud tomahawk dunk, before getting himself on the board with a putback slam late in the second quarter.

After breaking the invisible seal on the rim, Tatum sank five straight shots as water found its level. Tatum finished the night with 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in just under 27 minutes of play. Even without scoring the ball with elite efficiency, it's clear how impactful he'll be for this season's Celtics team.

It was fun having the entire roster healthy for five minutes

Tatum’s return meant the Celtics would have their entire roster (minus Jordan Walsh, who was out sick) healthy for the first time this season.

Well… that lasted all of five minutes.

Newly acquired center Nikola Vucevic fractured his right ring finger almost immediately after checking into the game, headed to the locker room, and was promptly ruled out for the next month as he’ll undergo surgery on Saturday.

Luka Garza is ready, if needed

As much as of a bummer as it is for Boston to be without Vucevic for the next month, they have about as good of an understudy as they could ask for in Luka Garza.

Garza checked in upon Vuc’s departure and made an immediate impact. By the time the first half came to a close, the former collegiate player of the year had already tallied 10 points and three rebounds.

The energetic boost served as a reminder of how solid Garza had been for the Celtics before they traded for Vucevic last month. He’s having his best season as a pro, averaging 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game on 57.4% from the field and 43.9% from beyond the arc.

Boston loves Cooper Flagg

The second biggest story heading into Friday’s matchup was the homecoming of Maine native and 2025 No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg. Flagg, whose Celtics fandom has been well-documented, graced the parquet for the first time as a pro and got plenty of love from the home crowd.

As he was introduced with the rest of Dallas’ starters, Flagg was met with cheers and a long “Coooooop” from the Garden faithful.

The moment where you could feel the connection most was when the 19-year-old appeared to have injured his ankle/foot in the opening minutes. There was an audible groan at North Station. Thankfully, he got up and finished the game with no issues.

Flagg wound up with 18 points, eight rebounds, and six assists in his Garden debut.