Jayson Tatum shares 2-word message ahead of injury return

Jayson Tatum is back. One of the game’s brightest stars and reigning NBA champion is ready to return to the court after suffering a severely torn Achilles tendon during last season’s playoffs. Tatum is back after 11 months as the Boston Celtics are the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and look to make another serious run at the NBA Finals.

Even with all the hype surrounding Tatum’s return, there is still a lot of work to be done. The Celtics hosted the Dallas Mavericks after a bad loss to the Charlotte Hornets. Tatum wouldn’t have returned if he didn’t feel 100% ready to make a serious impact. It may take some time to get back to what they were before the injury. But after we all watched him struggle in the early stages of rehab, you know Tatum is happy to get back to doing what he loves.

Tatum took the field Friday night and responded with an “I’m excited” message as he walked down the hallway toward the locker room.

ClutchPoints’ Celtics reporter Daniel Donabedian wrote that Tatum’s return would make life easier for the Celtics. Sam Howser told them Tatum would fit right back in.

“He’s been around [practice]So I think he’ll be able to fit right in,” he said. “We’ll be able to fit around him.”


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Austin Reaves’ 2-word mic goes off after blowout loss to Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their third straight loss after a 113-110 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. The game ended much like the team’s loss to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday due to poor execution late in the game. When asked after the game where the Lakers’ frustration lay, Austin Reaves summed it up in just two words, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin.

“Very high,” Reeves said during his postgame media session.

The difference between the Magic game and Thursday night was that the Lakers took the shot they wanted late in the game. Against the Magic, Luka Doncic was freed by a Deandre Ayton screen to take the potential game-winner. In a shocking moment, he passed the ball to LeBron James, who was hurried off the field.

Trailing by three against the Suns and trying to send the game into overtime, Austin Reaves ran through a series of screens to free himself in the corner for an open three. Marcus Smart found it, but his shot was a little poor.

Like the Magic game, the Lakers blew a double-digit lead in the second half, only to see the Suns come back and take the lead. When the game gets closer, all the little things add up. According to Khobi Price of the California Post, for Reaves, there were too many mistakes for the Lakers on the margin that could have changed the outcome if they had been better.

“Control the controllable things. There were some plays tonight where I thought if we were better, it could swing the game,” Reeves said. “Every possession matters. It sounds like a cliché because there are so many of them, but it can swing the game in any direction throughout the game. One little play, one little mistake can fire up a crowd, fire up a team, whatever it is. Control those possessions.”

Against the Suns, Reeves finished with 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and two steals. It was only his third game in the starting lineup since being put on a minutes restriction following his return from a calf injury.

The Lakers’ mini road trip concludes with a visit to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. The team will then return home on Sunday evening for a second consecutive night in town with the Sacramento Kings.


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