The Boston Celtics kept their playoff hopes alive with a convincing 127-102 victory over the New York Knicks in Game 5 on Wednesday night, despite being without star forward Jayson Tatum, who is out for the rest of the playoffs with a torn Achilles.
Derrick White led the charge with a game-high 34 points, while Jaylen Brown contributed 26. The Celtics took control in the third quarter and never looked back, shooting 52.4% from the field and 44.9% from beyond the arc. Boston’s bench also stepped up, with Luke Kornet delivering 10 points, nine rebounds, and an impressive seven blocks.
Josh Hart was the top scorer for the Knicks with 24 points. Jalen Brunson added 22 points but struggled with fouls and eventually fouled out in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks still lead the series 3-2 and will have a chance to close it out at home in Game 6 on Friday. Boston, meanwhile, is aiming to avoid becoming the sixth consecutive defending champion to be eliminated in the second round or earlier since the Warriors made it past the second round in 2019.
