Jayson Tatum was relieved to mark his return to Madison Square Garden by walking off the court "on my own two feet" during the Boston Celtics' defeat to the New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson led the way with 25 points and 10 assists for the Knicks, who kept their faint hopes of claiming the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference alive with a 112-106 victory on Thursday.

Tatum, meanwhile, registered 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists in his first appearance at Madison Square Garden since rupturing his Achilles tendon there during last season's playoffs.

And the 28-year-old expressed his relief at getting through his return unscathed, having called the initial injury the lowest point of his life.

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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) April 9, 2026

"It was a big moment and a big hurdle for me," he said.

"I was nervous and anxious to come back here. Absolutely [it is relief].

"Obviously, I wanted to win and play great, but more importantly, I just wanted to walk off the floor on my own two feet.

"So it was important to me, especially when I made the decision to come back and then made the decision to play. I'm glad I did. I feel a lot better."

Celtics forward Baylor Scheierman saluted the way Tatum has slotted seamlessly back into the fold following his lengthy injury layoff.

"Jayson was Jayson," he added. "Pretty calm, cool and collected out there.

"Didn't really notice much of a difference out there, he was just kind of the same as he always is."

The Celtics (54-26) hope to bounce back when they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday, while New York faces the Toronto Raptors.