Second-half surge leads Celtics to victory in Jayson Tatum’s return game

BOSTON — Suiting up for his first game at TD Garden in 303 days, Jayson Tatum was set to make his return to the Celtics Friday night.

While missing his first six shots, Tatum found other ways to impact the game. He tallied five first-half assists and showed off his athleticism on the defensive end. He eventually connected on a put-back dunk in the final moments of the second quarter before he hit a side-step corner 3-pointer. It helped the Celtics pull away from the Mavericks, securing a 120-100 win to improve to 42-21 overall. Dallas fell to 21-42.

Tatum finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists while playing 27 minutes in his first game back in 10 months. Facilitating was key for Tatum, who connected with Neemias Queta on an alley-oop in the opening moments of the game. Tatum even made an extra pass to Derrick White, who nailed a 3-pointer from the wing.

Most of Tatum's production occurred in the second half, recording 10 points and an efficient 4-of-8 shooting in the final two quarters. It greatly contributed to Boston's dominant finish, outscoring Dallas 62-47 in the second half. In the game's first 29 minutes, Tatum was scoreless with six misses as the Celtics trailed by a point before their lead ballooned to 70-49 over the final 25 minutes, as Tatum contributed 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Jaylen Brown led all scorers with a game-high 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

The Celtics took advantage of second-chance points, scoring 19 points on 13 offensive rebounds. They dominated the glass over the Mavericks, winning the battle 54-41. Neemias Queta, who scored 12 points, recorded a game-high 15 rebounds.

Cooper Flagg, a Maine native, made his professional debut at TD Garden, posting 16 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his second game back from a foot injury.