Luke Kornet blocks Celtics' output

They were tied up on the line at the age of 59 at half -time.

The Celtics were 3-1 back in the series, and the Knicks were already from most to find the final of the Eastern Conference. Only 13 of the last 294 teams who are 3-1 in a series have come back. The chances are very against it.

However, you should never count a champions team. Even if your superstar, Jayson Tatum, is interrupted with a devastating Achilles injury.

It takes more than one player to be a championship team, and Champions know how to get through and win. It requires a team performance and sometimes it requires inspiring services from places that you do not expect on your way to fame.

Kristpaps Porzi IS was already awakened while dealing with a viral disease and would not return in the second half.

Enter Luke Kornet. The 29-year-old began his career at the Knicks as an offensive Sharp shooting stretch five and in the eight years since his arrival at the NBA had transformed his game into a defense force.

Koret played six minutes in front of the bank in the first half, but he was asked for Porziņģis in the second half.

Then he changed the game.

Four points, five blocks, five rebounds and a differential of +15 later the Knicks stumbled. The Knicks kept his defense efforts to 17 points in the third quarter of only 4-on-19 shootout.

The most noteworthy was a distance from the 8:19 mark to 6:40 of the quarter, where Kornet registered three of his seven blocks and Boston extended his lead from 72-68 to 81-68.

The Celtics entered the fourth quarter with 91-76 and never looked back and survived a game 6 in New York.

When everything was finished, Korket played for 26 minutes with playoff career opportunities, scored 10 points with a perfect 5-to-5 shooting, got nine rebounds, blocked seven shots and added an assist and theft.

It wasn't just a season -saving performance, it was a historical one. He has only been the 11th player since 2010, who records seven or more blocks in a playoff game, and he is the only player who does it with a perfect shoot. Jaren Jackson Jr. and Robert Williams are the only players who could record so many blocks in the 26 minutes or less that Kornet played.

The way to the playoffs and certainly to another Larry O'Brien trophy becomes much more difficult for the Celtics without Tatum. However, the door is not blocked for you with a deep roster full of championship experiences and the ability of players such as Kornet to increase and have groundbreaking services.

Koret and the Celtics will return to New York and force a game 7 to ESPN on Friday at 8 ET.