One Celtics Adjustment Has Knicks Flustered

The New York Knicks are heading back to the drawing board after losing Game 5 to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden.

If the Knicks won, they would have advanced to their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years, but that potential milestone will have to wait until at least Game 6.

The Knicks went into the second half tied with the Celtics, but after Boston swapped out Kristaps Porziņģis in favor of Luke Kornet at center, New York couldn't figure things out down low.

"Kristaps Porziņģis entered Game 5 shooting 5-for-18 in the series. Battling through an illness that first started impacting him in late February, he was clearly slow on both ends of the floor over the first four games. With Tatum sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Celtics started Porziņģis next to Al Horford anyway," The Athletic contributor Jay King wrote.

"The decision did not work. Over Porziņģis’ 12 first-half minutes, the Celtics were outscored by 12 points. He missed all three of his field goal attempts and grabbed only one rebound, continuing an ineffective playoff run. With the season on the line, coach Joe Mazzulla benched the big man for the entire second half."

"To start the third quarter, Mazzulla replaced Porziņģis with Luke Kornet, who delivered one of his best halves ever. Kornet swatted five Knicks shots during an incredible third quarter. He finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks to keep the Celtics alive. He was impactful enough in Game 5 that it’s even easier to question why Mazzulla stayed with Porziņģis as much as he did earlier in the series."

Given how well the adjustment worked, it wouldn't be a surprise if Kornet started for the rest of the series.

It's now up to the Knicks to figure out how to win the minutes Kornet is on the court, because if things continue to develop how it did in Game 5, New York will end up losing the series.