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Celtics' Jaylen Brown Sparked Game 5 With Passionate Pre-Game Address

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI | By Seth Quinn | Last updated May 15, 2025 1:21 PM ET

The Boston Celtics seemed down and out after a rough first four games of their second-round series with the New York Knicks, which was capped off with a gruesome Jayson Tatum Achilles injury.

The team was counted out for the rest of the series entering Game 5, making it completely understandable if the team decided to take it easy and accept their season was over.

However, the team decided to rally instead and played fantastically in Game 5, especially in the second half, which was spearheaded by a pre-game address from Jaylen Brown.

More Celtics news: Former Celtics Champion Calls Out Jaylen Brown

With Tatum out, the team needed Brown to step up both his play on the court and his leadership, which he managed to do both in Game 5 to lead the team to a 127-102 victory to send the series back to New York for Game 6.

Brown, along with Al Horford, addressed the team before the game to get them motivated to win despite the huge loss of Tatum and the emotional ramifications of it.

Jaylen Brown addressed the team with Al Horford yesterday:

“The air kind of left the room after hearing the news with JT. We didn't want to go out like that.”

“We didn't want to come out and give up or just turn the season in — what everybody else would probably expect.” pic.twitter.com/IlEOf3nxDd
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) May 15, 2025

Even Celtics fans have likely given up on this series, but for their sake, the team is doing its best to give them hope again.

On the court, Brown and Derrick White were the main players to step up in Tatum's absence. Brown finished with 26 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds, filling into the Tatum role seamlessly. White was the beneficiary of a lot of those Brown assists, finishing with 34 points and seven three-pointers made.

Luke Kornet also stepped up with seven blocks and nine rebounds, which was huge given fellow big man Kristaps Porzingis hasn't looked like himself all playoffs.

The biggest storyline of the game, however, may have been the defense. The Celtics held the Knicks to just 102 points, which was especially impressive after allowing a 59-point first half. A big difference in this year's Celtics team compared to last year's is the defense hasn't been quite as consistent.

When their shot isn't falling, the Celtics have blown leads in this year's playoffs, because they aren't quite as lockdown on defense. That wasn't as much of a issue against the Orlando Magic because their offense was one of the worst in the entire NBA this season, especially with the injuries they had.

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However, Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and the rest of the Knicks' offense have been able to take advantage of the Celtics on defense late in games.

If the offense can continue to have great ball movement and shooting, while the defense can generate more consistent stops, including getting more blocked shots from their bigs, than the Celtics can come back in this series.

Brown's pre-game speech may have motivated the team in Game 5, but his play could also serve as motivation and increase confidence that the Celtics are capable of winning this series still.

More Boston Celtics news:

Fans Call for Celtics' Jaylen Brown to Make Good on Promise From Last Year

Former Celtics Players React to News of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles Injury

Celtics Star Al Horford's Offseason Plans Revealed

For more news and notes about the Boston Celtics, head on over to Boston Celtics on SI.

This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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