Jayson Tatum's return to the Boston Celtics sets up a huge must-win for the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers

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Jayson Tatum's return to the Boston Celtics sets up a huge must-win for the new-look Cleveland Cavaliers originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Cleveland Cavaliers continue to roll post-trade deadline, taking down the top-seed in the East, the Detroit Pistons, on Tuesday. The game was a hurdle that the Cavaliers needed to clear, doing so by beating the Pistons 113-109, and all without star guard Donovan Mitchell. The win was a statement and helped the Cavs move to 7-3 in their last 10. They now sit just six-games out of first in the East and Central Division behind the Pistons. It was a much-needed win as the team continues to find itself following the arrival of James Harden. 

The trade has paid immediate dividends for the Cavs, being able to topples ome of the top teams in the NBA since the trade. Prior to the Pistons game, they took on and took care of the New York Knicks. The Knicks are third in the East and second in the Atlantic, so a win over them was hugely important for the Cavaliers. After all, if they can't beat the best teams, they won't be heading to any conference finals. So the wins over the Pistons and Knicks were must-haves for the new look Cavs.

But a new challenge exists. 

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On Sunday, Cleveland will face off with one of the best teams in the East this season, the Boston Celtics. They're a team that sits second in the East and is currently the top dog in the Atlantic Division. And in the eyes of many, are one of the most surprising squads of the season. They've been without star forward Jayson Tatum for most of this season following his Achilles tear in May of 2025. Following the injury, the Celtics traded several expensive players this offseason, believing that they'd likely struggle to make the playoffs without him. Jaylen Brown, however, stepped up huge for them and not only kept the Celtics in the playoff picture, but got the Celtics to be one of the best teams in the Association. 

The Celtics lost Tatum to a torn Achellies just 10 months ago, and somehow, like a poorly written Star Wars plot point, he's back. He returned on Friday and had 15 points, 12 rebounds, and seven assists in his first game since May 12, 2025. While his shooting wasn't great, going just 6-16, it was a huge first step for one of the Celtics' best players. 

Despite a lackluster shooting night, his return makes the Celtics even more dangerous. They've missed his unique skillset and length, and while it'll take a few weeks for him to get back into form (if not longer), his presence alone will force other teams to account for him. If he can find his shooting form sooner rather than later, with how good the team has played without him, it's very likely that the Celtics will just be that much harder to beat as the season goes on.

It's a win the Cavs need, not just for their chase of the division and more, but just for their own peace of mind. So far, the Cavs have yet to knock off the Celtics this season.

The Cavs are 0-2 against Boston this season. They lost their first encounter by 20, and their second by just two. A third loss won't do anything for the confidence of this club, so a win is much-needed. If the Cavaliers can unseat a healthy Celtics squad on Sunday, then it may become all too obvious who the real team to beat in the East is. 

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