With his confidence rebuilt, Jayson Tatum ready to lead Celtics' title pursuit

Boston -- Jayson Tatum wasted no time in his return to the playoffs. He generated 10 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the first frame. He logged all 12 minutes, never leaving the parquet. By halftime, his production had reached a historic output.

The six-time All-Star generated 21 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and 2 steals by the intermission. He's only the third player in the NBA's play-by-play era to reach those numbers in the first half of a playoff game, per Celtics Stats. The other two who achieved that feat are Jimmy Butler and Russell Westbrook.

He finished the Boston Celtics' 123-91 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers with 25 points on 9/17 shooting [52.9 percent], 11 rebounds, seven assists, and two steals in 32 minutes.

"Today was probably the most excited, and relaxed, and grateful I've been in my 9 years of being in the playoffs," he told ESPN's Jorge Sedano after the hosts' series-opening win.

Channeling those emotions, he uncorked fadeaway jumpers, sliced through the Sixers' defense, and punished them as a passer when they sent multiple defenders at him. At the other end of the floor, he was effective when switching onto star guard Tyrese Maxey, helping hold him to 21 points on 8/20 shooting. There was also his work on the defensive glass. He remains Boston's best rebounder when it comes to ending opponents' possessions.

What makes his performance even more impressive is the reminder he offered after the Celtics' victory to kick off this rivalry clash.

"I'm still rehabbing," voiced Tatum. "Still just trying to ramp up."

How Jayson Tatum rebuilt his confidence

Throughout this journey, the Celtics' star has celebrated the small wins: walking again, regaining his independence, and stepping onto the court for the first time since his injury. His Achilles tear separated him from the sport he loves. The way he relentlessly attacked his recovery had him back in uniform in just under 10 months.

"Yeah, it's pretty nuts, kind of how far he's come and how fast he's gotten back," said Sam Hauser after Boston's Game 1 win. "But [it] just shows how determined and committed he was to his rehab."

Tatum has been open with the public along the way. He didn't hide the fact that he wasn't looking forward to his return to Madison Square Garden for the first time since that fateful night in May. Instead, he was willing to share his feelings with the world, letting supporters and those who would snicker at him know about the anxiousness he felt about going back to "The World's Most Famous Arena." He has also been vulnerable with his teammates, who breathed confidence into his rehab and the idea that he could come back this season.

"Honestly, the day that it changed, or became a real thought, is when I played -- when I got assigned to the G League and played, we had the scrimmage, and that was really the first time that it was like, 'Oh, you know, I might come back this year,'" said Tatum after Boston's Game 1 win. "Talking to my teammates after those scrimmages and 'get-ready games', that just kind of asking them questions: 'How I looked?' And the confidence that they instilled in me was impactful."

He was afraid to ask his now-former teammate, Xavier Tillman Sr., how he looked during those runs. When the four-time All-NBA First Team selection finally worked up the courage to do so, Tillman's response was an affirmation that helped Tatum in his journey back.

Feedback like that assuaged his fear that he wouldn't reach the standard he had established for himself. The comments from Tillman and those he was testing himself against validated his hopes of getting back to the player he was at the peak of his powers. It let him know that the work he was putting in and his commitment to his rehab weren't just taking him down a path in which he would have to accept being a lesser version of himself.

It took the 28-year-old from St. Louis, Missouri, a lifetime of work to become a superstar who has already built a career worthy of enshrinement in the Basketball Hall of Fame. However, his injury didn't wipe away that foundation. He returned to the base of the mountain with the knowledge of what it takes to reach the summit and stronger tools to aid his climb.

JT getting back up to speed faster than anyone imagined

As time passes and Tatum accumulates games like Sunday's series-opener against the Sixers, he moves closer to being the version of himself that he wants to reach. Not only is that destination on the horizon, but he's heading there at an impressive pace.

"I think he just built it through work," said Mazzulla of how Tatum has rebuilt his confidence and his game so quickly. "Built it through having great people around, his teammates, family, trainers, he has a lot of great people in his life. So, I think he built that through just a work ethic. He built that through knowing where he was and where he wanted to get to."

Between Jaylen Brown evolving into an individual who inserted his name into the MVP conversation, the depth the Celtics can lean on to sustain their identity of playing hard for 48 minutes every time they take the floor, and Tatum looking this good while still ramping up, Boston has gone from a perceived gap year to being deemed the favorites in the East. While they aren't the favorites to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy, they have the talent to cap this campaign with a Hollywood ending that would be a fitting way to end a season spent defying external expectations.

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