Boston Celtics Extend Series With Game 5 Win

The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 5 to keep their season alive. After suffering a torn Achilles, the Celtics were without their star, Jayson Tatum, but persisted to win 127-102. Derrick White led with 34 points, followed by Jaylen Brown with 26. Luke Kornet also had 7 blocks off the bench, making a huge impact. Despite 24 points from Josh Hart and 22 from Jalen Brunson, New York could not close the series out. They return to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 on Friday.

A Close First Half

The Boston Celtics have only played one playoff game without Tatum, when they beat the Orlando Magic in Game 2 of the first round. But this was completely different, down 3-1 with their season on the line. Both teams traded baskets early. White made a pair of three-pointers, and Mikal Bridges scored 5 quick points. Boston didn’t take long to turn to their bench and went on a 7-0 run. White was on fire, starting the game 5-of-5 with four threes. Other Celtics like Payton Pritchard and Sam Hauser also hit threes, but the Knicks took the lead with an OG Anunoby three. At the end of the first quarter, New York led 32-30.

Karl-Anthony Towns extended the Knicks’ lead in the second quarter. A Miles McBride three put them up by eight. After an opening flurry, the Boston Celtics’ offense cooled off. But an Al Horford three brought it back to a two-point game on an 8-0 run. Brunson halted the run, but the crowd was back in it after a Brown three. Another Brown bucket gave them the lead. Brunson continued to answer, and both teams went back and forth. Hart made back-to-back threes, while Brown responded on the other end. Both offenses traded haymakers, and the score was tied going into halftime, 59-59.

It was an inspired first half for both offenses. The Knicks looked ready to pull ahead with a lead that approached double digits, but the Boston Celtics battled back. Brunson led New York with 13 points, followed by Hart with 12. Towns and McBride each had 8 points. The Celtics were led by White and Brown. White had 19 points with five three-pointers. Brown had 17 points on 6-of-11 shooting with 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Both teams were shooting lights out from beyond the arc. The Knicks were shooting 47.8%, and Boston shot 48% from three. The Celtics were fighting for their season while New York went for the finishing blow.

The Boston Celtics Rally

The third quarter started physically as Brown and Hart got into a scuffle, resulting in a double technical foul. Hart proceeded to hit a three, giving the Knicks the lead. But Brown fought back, diving for a loose ball to start a fast break. The Celtics played tough. Kornet made plays off the bench, Brown was aggressive, and White was shooting lights out. They went on an 11-0 run to take a 13-point lead. In this series, no Boston lead has been safe. Bridges and Towns helped weather the storm, but Kornet made more defensive plays to maintain the lead. At the end of the third quarter, the fired-up Boston Celtics led 91-76.

The fourth quarter has been where the Knicks have won their games in this series. The Boston Celtics started this quarter with five quick points from Al Horford. They extended their lead past 20 points, which is the infamous lead they blew in Games 1 and 2. Like they’ve done, New York continued to battle. But timely buckets from Pritchard and Jrue Holiday put them up 23 with eight minutes to go. Then, Brunson fouled out of the game with seven minutes left.

This fired up Boston even more. Kornet was everywhere, blocking his seventh shot and throwing down an alley-oop on the other end. Another Pritchard three and Brown basket kept them ahead. The Celtics sealed the game, and both teams pulled their starters for the final two and a half minutes. The Boston Celtics kept their season alive, winning 127-102.

Final Thoughts

The Celtics’ win brought the series to 3-2. White led with 34 points on seven three-pointers. Meanwhile, Brown had one of his most complete playoff games with 26 points, 8 rebounds, and 12 assists. But the big surprise was Kornet. Kristaps Porzingis sat the entire second half after putting up 1 point in 12 minutes. Kornet finished with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with 9 rebounds and 7 blocks. Without Tatum, the team stepped up and extended the series.

The Knicks missed the chance to close out Boston on the road. Hart had 24 points, and Brunson had 22 but fouled out in the fourth quarter. They return home to Madison Square Garden for Game 6 on Friday.