Jayson Tatum drops double-double in return and blowout win vs. Dallas

· Yahoo Sports

After 298 days out of action, superstar Jayson Tatum returned to the starting lineup for the Boston Celtics, and after shaking off the rust, he appeared to be his normal self. The Boston Celtics welcomed the Dallas Mavericks and No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg to TD Garden, in a moment that will go down in franchise history as Tatum returned to a team that is currently No. 2 in the Eastern Conference standings.

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Dallas played well in the first half on the second night of a back-to-back, but once the Celtics, and Tatum, found their rhythm, they took control and never looked back. Six players scored in double figures for Boston, as Tatum flirted with a triple-double in Boston's 20-point victory.

Here's a quick recap of Boston's win:

Final score: Boston Celtics 120, Dallas Mavericks 100

Keys to the game:

Jayson Tatum's second half: In his first game action in nearly 300 days, Tatum had no minutes restrictions on him, but did show some rust until the final minute of the first half. He'd get his first points on a put back slam late in the second quarter and ended the first half with five straight points. Tatum built off that first half ending by coming out aggressive at several different levels, scoring in a multitude of ways, and cleaned up on the glass with 12 rebounds.

Balanced effort: The aforementioned six players in double figures showed that this Celtics team continued on with business as usual even with Tatum's return to the lineup. A lot of outside noise focused on how Boston would operate between Tatum and Jaylen Brown, along with the other players who have stepped up this season, and the team didn't miss a beat. Neemias Queta had a very quiet, yet impressive showing of 16 points and 15 rebounds in the win as well.

Luka Garza: Veteran big man Nikola Vucevic, who was acquired at the trade deadline from Chicago, was expected to have a big role for the Celtics down the stretch, but suffered a fractured right ring finger, forcing Boston to lean on Luka Garza off the bench. Garza delivered, putting up 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks off the bench, but it was his energy and presence that really seemed to help Boston take control in the second half.

Highlight of the game: Jayson Tatum gets his first points in return on put back slam

What's next: vs. Cavaliers, Sunday, March 8, 1:00PM ET on ABC

Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference will close out their season series against one another in a matinee matchup on national TV. Boston has won the first two meetings against Cleveland by a combined 22 points, but their last game came down to the wire with the Celtics picking up a 2-point victory. It'll be interesting to see how Boston chooses to operate and manage Jayson Tatum in his second game, after he played 27 minutes against Dallas in season debut on Friday. Cleveland has been without superstar Donovan Mitchell, and his status is worth monitoring, although he participated fully in practice on Friday.

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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jayson Tatum drops double-double in return and blowout win vs. Dallas

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