After a month on the sidelines, Nikola Vucevic made his long-awaited return to the court Sunday night. The veteran center, sidelined since March 6th with a broken finger, came off the bench for the Celtics in their 115-101 victory over the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden.

Vucevic had pinpointed this game for his comeback, but reintegrating into the flow of a championship-contending team is no simple task. While his presence marked the first time all season the Celtics were fully healthy for an entire game, his personal stat line—four points, four rebounds, and four fouls in 13 minutes—highlighted the rust that comes with a lengthy absence. He finished with a team-worst plus/minus of -14, a number that doesn't tell the full story of a player shaking off the cobwebs.

Head coach Joe Mazzulla offered a supportive assessment, emphasizing the limited minutes and Vucevic's solid offensive decision-making. "He was good," Mazzulla stated. "He's just going to continue to get acclimated."

For Vucevic himself, the challenge is clear. Beyond physical recovery, it's about rebuilding on-court chemistry with his teammates in the final stretch before the postseason. "Honestly, obviously, the chemistry part," Vucevic explained. "That just has to come from us playing and practicing together."

He remains optimistic, noting he used his rehab time to study film and learn Boston's schemes left-handed. With five regular-season games left and a week off before the playoffs, the Celtics' new addition has a crucial window to find his rhythm and sync up with the league's best roster, aiming to be a complete force when the games matter most.