Despite Jayson Tatum tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 4, the Boston Celtics staved off elimination with a dominating 127-102 win over the New York Knicks in Game 5 at TD Garden.
The Celtics went on a 16-3 run in the third quarter, which lasted over four and a half minutes, and never looked back.
“We didn’t play for 48 minutes,” Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau said. “At the start of the second quarter, we had a lead and didn’t play tough with the lead. Came out to start the third and didn’t play well there. Can’t afford to do that.”
Derrick White was hot from the field, shooting 56.3% from the floor and making 7 of 13 three-point attempts for 34 points.
Luke Kornet had the game of his life, as he clogged up driving lanes for the Knicks. He finished with seven blocks, as the extra-tall lineup from Boston left New York’s offense in shambles. Kornet added 10 points and nine rebounds.
Suddenly, there is life for the Celtics. The combination of dominating paint defense and elite three-point shooting has forced a Game 6, but a team that’s one year removed from a championship knows what it takes to win, even with their backs against the wall.
“You don’t get to pick the tests that you have,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said. “You just pick how you respond to them. That’s kind of how life works.”
As a team, Boston shot 44.9% from behind the arc.
“You’ve got to sprint back, you’ve got to communicate, and we’ve got to be matched up,” Thibodeau said regarding the lack of transition defense. “If one guy is slow, you’re going to give him an open shot. You can’t do that against this team.”
It was a close first half, as the two teams went into the break knotted up at 59-59. In the third, the Celtics outscored the Knicks 32-17, taking a commanding 91-76 lead into the final frame.
Jaylen Brown poured in 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting. He also shot 60% from behind the arc, knocking down three of five attempts. He secured the double-double by notching 12 assists and added eight rebounds.
Mitchell Robinson played 15 minutes off the bench in the first half, recorded six points, 11 rebounds, and went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. Robinson finished with just eight points, but he added two more free throws to his credit, as he shot 6-for-6 on the night while recording 13 rebounds.
Robinson isn’t there to drop 20 points. He makes his money protecting the rim and dominating on the glass. Shooting 100% from the charity stripe might get him going, after having a putrid 17-of-44 (38.6%) showing from the free-throw line thus far.
Before fouling out in the fourth quarter, Jalen Brunson scored just 22 points on 17 shots.
A championship team like the Celtics won’t go away easily. The reigning NBA champions are one step closer to completing the comeback from down 3-1. It’ll still be an uphill battle without Tatum, but they’re one win away from forcing a Game 7 that will take place at TD Garden. Anything can happen in a Game 7.
The Knicks head back to Madison Square Garden on Friday for Game 6 with a chance to punch their ticket to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000. They have not closed out a playoff series at home since the 1999 Eastern Conference finals. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.
