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The reigning champions are still in contention.
Facing the threat of elimination for the first time in two years and without their star player, the Boston Celtics delivered a remarkable second half in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, dismantling the New York Knicks’ defense and securing a 127-102 win on Wednesday.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined due to a torn right Achilles tendon incurred late in Game 4 and Kristaps Porziņģis still dealing with an undisclosed illness, the Celtics needed several players to elevate their performance to keep their season alive. They certainly stepped up, with Derrick White scoring 34 points, Jaylen Brown recording a career-high 12 assists, and Luke Kornet achieving a career-best with seven blocked shots.
Although the Knicks maintain a 3-2 series lead and will seek to finish it off at Madison Square Garden on Friday (8 ET, ESPN), they have been outscored by a total of 35 points across the five games.
Here are some observations, remarks, stats, and highlights from the Knicks’ first road loss of the playoffs.
Despite posting a positive point differential over the initial four games of the series, the Celtics found themselves outscored by 51 points (25.7 per 100 possessions) in the second half. They had displayed remarkable efficiency with 128.4 points per 100 possessions over 96 first-half minutes but dropped to a mere 94.7 points per 100 in 101 minutes of second-half and overtime play. The Knicks capitalized on deficits of at least 14 points during all three of their victories.
In Game 5, the Celtics experienced their first halftime tie, with the score at 59, and they had not previously led by at least nine points at that juncture. However, they flipped their offensive struggles in the second half this time around.
Instead, they ignited their offense, scoring an impressive 22 points in their first nine possessions of the third quarter, transforming the tied score into a 13-point lead that they would continue to expand.
During that stretch, the Celtics did miss three free throws but went 5-for-6 from the field, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. Notably, those missed free throws occurred among 12 attempts at the line during that brief period.
On their initial possession of the third quarter, the Celtics scored four points, with both Jrue Holiday and Brown taking advantage of Jalen Brunson’s defense down low, while also recovering an offensive rebound from Holiday’s missed free throw.
The Celtics excelled in getting out on the break, even following the Knicks’ made baskets.
After Josh Hart hit a 3-pointer for New York, the Celtics quickly advanced the ball, leading to Al Horford finding a trailing White, who had already made five 3-pointers out of nine attempts at that point. The Knicks lost sight of him in transition, leading to yet another successful 3-pointer that put the Celtics ahead by six.
In the following possessions, White continued to capitalize with another transition 3-pointer as Boston kept the momentum going.
According to Synergy tracking, the transition scoring on Wednesday tilted overwhelmingly in favor of the Celtics, 31-9, with them accumulating 80 points on 52 transition possessions (1.54 per) across the last three games.
Despite struggling in previous outings, Porziņģis saw time on the court for most of the fourth quarter in Game 4, yet historically, Kornet had averaged only 13.1 minutes in the first four games, primarily to foul Mitchell Robinson.
With Tatum missing on Wednesday, Porziņģis received his first start since Game 1. However, he was unable to contribute fully at the start of the third quarter.
“He couldn’t breathe,” remarked Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “He was only available if absolutely necessary.”
That necessity did not arise even with Horford picking up his fourth foul early in the second half, largely due to Kornet’s standout performance. The center logged 25 minutes and 38 seconds—his highest career playoff time—contributing 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks.
“He came in and always seemed to be in the right spot,” White praised Kornet. “Seven blocks is impressive. He was incredible tonight and definitely rose to the occasion.”
Five of Kornet’s seven blocks occurred during the crucial third quarter. His first block of that period capped off an outstanding defensive possession from Boston’s third big man.
The Knicks executed a “Spain” pick-and-roll with Hart setting a ball screen for Brunson and OG Anunoby, ultimately trying to set a back screen on Kornet. However, Kornet anticipated the screen and managed to stay involved. While Hart found himself open, he hesitated beyond the arc, allowing Kornet to thwart his drive effectively.
Towns managed to seal Jrue Holiday under the basket, but Kornet executed a timely recovery, denying his shot…
A highlight moment unfolded midway through the fourth quarter, with the Celtics capitalizing on an offensive surge to gain a 23-point lead. They executed their own Spain pick-and-roll, and after Towns was caught by the back screen, Kornet rolled to the basket for an electrifying reverse alley-oop dunk…
While the seven blocks were impressive, the Celtics have also thrived offensively in this series (124.7 points per 100 possessions) while Kornet has been on the floor for 78 minutes.
Brown didn’t attempt to single-handedly compensate for Tatum’s absence in terms of scoring. Early in the match, Brown switched things up defensively by taking on the challenge of guarding Brunson, rather than relying on Holiday or White.
The Celtics’ defensive strategy against the Knicks’ star extends beyond just the initial matchup; Brown’s added length clearly made a difference. Brunson scored just 22 points (7-17 FG) after having torched Boston for 39 in Game 4.
The Knicks set up 41 ball screens for Brunson, but Brown was not easily allowing switches. On a third-quarter possession where Kornet blocked a shot from Towns (previously mentioned), Brown adeptly navigated Hart’s screen, preventing Brunson from getting an open jump shot.
“My goal was to stay between him and the basket,” Brown commented. “I believe I can defend effectively standing shoulder to shoulder with the best of them.”
Offensively, Brown tallied nearly as many assists (12) as he recorded in the first four games combined (13). He avoided forcing challenging shots, instead opting for smart plays when advantageous opportunities arose.
This defensive assignment also translated into offensive advantages since Brown frequently found himself matched against Brunson during transition plays.
One instance arose midway through the first quarter when Brown posted up Brunson, spun into the lane, drew in two additional defenders, and delivered an excellent wraparound assist to Kornet for a layup…
When asked about his role in Tatum’s absence, Brown replied, “I need to find ways to contribute… Whatever’s needed, I’m thrilled to adapt to any role.”
The Orlando Magic held the title of the league’s worst 3-point shooting team this season, with the Celtics outscoring them by 54 points from long range throughout their five-game, first-round series.
After five games in this series, the Celtics have outdone the Knicks by an astounding 90 points from 3-point territory. Initially, the Knicks hit one more 3-pointer than Boston in the first two games, but the Celtics have surpassed them by 31 over the past three contests.
Boston set an NBA record this season by taking 53.6% of their shots from beyond the arc. Although Orlando managed to limit their attempts in the first round, the Celtics have been firing at will in this series. Games 1, 4, and 5 represent three of the four occasions in these playoffs when a team has taken at least 58% of its attempts from 3-point range.
Taking a high volume of 3-pointers inevitably leads to poor shot selections at times, and the Celtics did squander 20-point leads in Games 1 and 2.
However, almost all of their 49 attempts on Wednesday were well-executed opportunities generated by quick ball movement and pace, and their shooting efficiency has paid off over the last three games. They’ve experienced one of their most prolific three-game offensive stretches this season, scoring at a rate of 129.6 points per 100 possessions.
With the Minnesota Timberwolves defeating the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, historically, teams facing a 3-1 deficit in a best-of-seven series have come back to win just 13 times (4.4%) out of 295 attempts. Thus, the Celtics still face significant odds.
Nevertheless, the champions have showcased that even without their star player, they can defeat the Knicks on any given night.
“We just need to secure one win,” Mazzulla emphasized, “and then take it from there.”
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John Schuhmann serves as a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can reach out via email here, view his archives here, and follow him on X.
The perspectives shared on this page do not necessarily represent the views of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
