The Knicks are one win away from a trip to the Eastern Conference finals, leading the Celtics 3-1 in the conference semis, which shifts back to Boston for a pivotal game 5 on Wednesday night.
The Celtics will try to keep their hopes for a repeat championship alive after losing Jayson Tatum to a ruptured Achilles. The superstar had surgery on Tuesday, according to the team.
It'll be a tall order. Teams holding a 3-1 lead in the NBA playoffs have gone on to win 95.6% of the time, with only 13 teams in 293 tries ever coming back from the deficit to win the series.
When is Game 5 between the Celtics and Knicks?
Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semis between the Knicks and Celtics will take place Wednesday, May 14.
What time is Game 5?
Game 5 will be at 7 p.m. Eastern.
What channel will Game 5 be on?
Game 5 will air on TNT.
How to watch Celtics Knicks on streaming?
You can watch Game 5 of the Celtics vs. Knicks streaming on MAX.
Is Game 5 in Boston or New York?
The series shifts back to Boston and the TD Garden for Game 5.
What's the status of Jayson Tatum?
The Celtics posted on social media Tuesday evening, "Jayson Tatum today underwent successful surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon. No timetable is currently available for his return, but he is expected to make a full recovery. Further updates will be provided when appropriate."
The 27-year-old Tatum is leading the Celtics in points (28.1), rebounds (11.5) and assists (5.4) per game for the second straight postseason.
Tatum was carried off the court with 2:58 remaining in Monday night’s game. The Celtics had just turned the ball over and as Tatum moved for the loose ball, his leg gave out and he went down. He buried his face in a towel in obvious pain while grabbing at his leg above the ankle after the noncontact injury.
Tatum scored 42 points, his highest total during these playoffs and one of the best all-round postseason performances of his career, before he was hurt.
The injury was Tatum’s second this postseason. He missed Game 2 of Boston’s 4-1 first-round series win over Orlando with a bone bruise in his right wrist. It was the first time he’d missed a playoff game in his career.
When will the Eastern Conference Finals start?
The Eastern Conference finals will start on May 19 or 21.
Some key stats
Jayson Tatum had 42 points, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots before getting hurt in Game 4 at New York. Since all those stats started being tracked, nobody in Celtics history finished any game with all those numbers.
The Knicks had four players (Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby) score at least 20 points in a playoff game for the second time this season. From 1973 through 2024, the Knicks never had that happen once.
Betting odds for NBA champion
We have a shakeup in the betting odds, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Oklahoma City (+105) remains the big favorite to win the NBA title, and now New York (+500) is the second choice — after Boston had been in that spot for the entirety of the playoffs. Minnesota is +600, Indiana is +900, Cleveland is +1000 and Denver is +1600.
Boston's odds are soaring now, up to +3000. And Golden State is at +15000.