Is Jayson Tatum playing tonight against New York Knicks? Latest on Celtics' All-Star's status (April 11) 

Jayson Tatum is available to play against the New York Knicks on Thursday night. He returned in Tuesday's 104-91 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks after a one-game absence. He has returned to the injury report and is iffy to play. He was earlier listed as questionable.

With the Celtics locking up homecourt with the best record in the league, they will be cautious with the workload of their top players, especially Tatum, whom the Celtics will rely on the most come playoff time. He has always been their go-to in crunch situations, and his health will be prioritized.

It is not a surprise that the Celtics play him Thursday's contest because of their unbeaten run against the Knicks, who will remain without Julius Randle. Tatum also logged in 37 minutes against the Bucks.

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What happened to Jayson Tatum?

Jayson Tatum was on the Celtics' injury report, citing a right knee contusion. He has been dealing with the issue since Apr. 6. However, Tatum has missed only one game in that span. He's made available to play ahead of the game.

Before this, Tatum had dealt with an ankle issue that led to his other five absences this year. Boston has gone 5-1 without the 2023 All-Star Game MVP.

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Jayson Tatum Stats vs. New York Knicks

Tatum has played 24 games against the Knicks, averaging 23.2 points, 7.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting on 45/36/87 splits. He holds a 17-7 record against the Celtics' conference rivals. Tatum has been phenomenal in the season series between the teams.

He has managed 28.3 ppg, 7.3 rpg and 5.5 apg in four games, producing two 30-point outings on Oct. 25 and Nov. 13. He had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists in a 116-102 win when the two teams last met on Feb. 24.

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How to watch New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics?

TNT and TruTV will broadcast the New York Knicks-Boston Celtics game, while MSG Network and NBC Sports Boston will provide local coverage. Fans outside the country can view the contest online via NBA League Pass. Tipoff is at 7:30 p.m. ET at TD Garden, the Celtics' homecourt.

Boston is the favorite to win again, owing to their successful run against the Knicks this year. However, they could be without multiple starters, including Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, who are both questionable to play.

The Knicks also have to worry about protecting their position in the standings (3rd) to avoid a potential matchup against the Celtics in the conference semis. That could prompt them to play with a bit more urgency than the C's.