NBA Playoffs snack: Celtics Enge Series on 3-2 in the 127-102 victory against Knicks

The Boston Celtics live to play another day, played the New York Knicks 127-102 in game 5 on Wednesday evening and led the New York series to 3: 2.

Boston won his first game of the series since Star Jayson Tatum's injury, who tore his Achilles in game 4. Without Tatum, Derrick White, in addition to Jaylen Browns, led 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds with 34 points, three rebounds and two assists for Boston.

Jalen Brunson scored 22 for the Knicks before polluted in the fourth quarter with less than eight minutes.

The Knicks and Celtics will play on Friday at 8:00 p.m.

Celtics 127, Knicks 102

(Knicks Lead series 3-2)

Everything clicks for Boston☘️

Lead to TNT with their sights on a game 6 👀 pic.twitter.com/gxcfjwtea

– NBA (@nba) May 15, 2025

Knicks fall apart in the third quarter

The 25-year-old drought through Knicks not to achieve the Eastern Conference final has to wait at least a few more days.

After Boston had walked into the half with a crazy Celtics, in the third quarter he blew the door from the kinks on the way to a massive victory. New York's transition defense was miserable and made it possible Boston's best shooters to step into comfortable 3 Series. Then the half -court defense began to crumble, and the same enormous shooters made exercise shots in a half -court environment.

The Knicks were in bad difficulties most of the night. In the third quarter alone, Brunson had five fouls and dried up for more than seven minutes.

Boston's defense was the tone and the improvement that Brown Guard Brunson was paid enormously. New York shot 34 percent from the ground before coach Tom Thibodeau decided to pull his starter.

The Knicks still have a 3-2 series in the lead and only need another victory to reach the final of the Eastern Conference. However, you have to pack it as soon as possible, as the fast -moving and well -oriented Pacers are waiting for your next opponent.

Despite the leadership of the series, New York has a minus over 30 point differential in this series. You followed big in every game. The Knicks cannot continue to allow this. – James L. Edwards III, Knicks Staff Writer

The Bank für Kornet pays off

Kristaps Porziņģis entered the 5-by-18 game in the series. When he fought himself through an illness at the end of February that influenced him for the first time, he was clearly slow at both ends of the floor in the first four games. With Tatum, which is expelled by an Achilles tendon, the Celtics started next to Al Horford anyway.

The decision did not work. The Celtics were exceeded by 12 points over Porzi '12 minutes in the first half. He missed all three fields of goal attempts and only got a rebound, continuing an ineffective playoff run. With the season on the line, coach Joe Mazzulla used the big man for the entire second half.

In order to start the third quarter, Mazzulla Porziis replaced Luke Kornet, who delivered one of his best halves ever. Cornet beat five Knicks shots in an incredible third quarter. He ended with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks to keep the Celtics alive. He was impressive enough in game 5 that it is even easier to ask why Mazzulla remained as much as in the series at Porzi. – Jay King, Celtics Staff Writer

Rare fouls from Brunson

The surprise of Wednesday evening is not that the Celtics won in their home building. It is as it happened. The Boston Avalanche started at the beginning of the third quarter and only stopped when it was too late. The Celtics pulled fouls. They came to the free sausage line 18 times in time. They drained 3s and got out in the transition. In third place, the Knicks only shot 4 out of 20 from the field.

It was no surprise that the defending champions could do a potentially change in the season without Tatum. But the shock came about: it almost seemed as if the Knicks would happen.

Brunson, who rarely closes fouls, has just hired four fouls in the third. The starting line-up of the Knicks, which has been underwhelmed since 2025 and was a minus-22 in this series, fought again. After strong first half from reserves Mitchell Robinson and Miles “Deice” McBride, Thibodeau only made a substitution at the end of the quarter. When the bankers came in, the Knicks had let go of the rope. – Fred Katz, Senior NBA writer

Brown comes through for Boston

Brown had to rise with Tatum. But he looked like a cover of all series. Could he really turn into Brown? At the end of the third quarter there was no doubt. Brown was not his usual explosive itself, which could never be one thing for the rest of this endless playoff run. But he showed that he can create a game from the ground and perfected every facet of the game plan after half -time.

The Celtics had the chance to get into the bonus early, so Brown continued in Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson until the Celtics could simply live in the line. He even brought Brunson to promote at the beginning of the fourth quarter, and allowed the Celtics to capture a large tour.

Koret changed the game in the second half and white brought it there, but Brown showed that he can appear in Tatum's absence to guide this Celtics team as they always have. Who knows whether this will last through game 6, but at least he can leave Celtics fans on a high note if this was the last time in the garden this season. – Jared Weiss, Celtics Staff Writer

(Photo: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)