The New York Knicks are just one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
They'll be taking on an ailing Boston Celtics team who just watched as Jayson Tatum dove for a loose ball in the closing minutes of Game 4, only to see him writhing in pain, grabbing the back of his foot.
Tatum will miss the pivotal Game 5 after undergoing surgery on a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Brunson backs down Derrick White.
© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Stephen A. Smith makes clear Knicks-Celtics Claim
Despite the Celtics missing their All-NBA forward, the Knicks are still 4.5-point underdogs ahead of Game 5.
It's far from a due or die game for the Knicks, who hold a two-game lead over their East rival.
ESPN's Stephen A. Smith delivered a crucial message on whether he would be nervous if the Knicks lost Game 5.
"I'm not nervous about the New York Knicks losing Game 6 at the Garden," Smith said. "You've got New Yorkers so hyped, some of them don't want the Knicks to win tonight just because they want the Knicks to win at the Garden on Friday night.
"Have you seen Knick fans when they won a playoff game? Have you seen me? That's when we win a playoff game. We're talking about a series-clinching victory that propels us to the Conference Finals? At the Garden? On a Friday night at the Garden? Lord, have mercy."
If the Knicks can pull out the win and advance to the Conference Finals, they will face a familiar foe in the Indiana Pacers.
The last time they advanced to the Conference Finals, they fell to the Indiana Pacers.
The Knicks have had a familiar way of winning these entire playoffs. They get down early, sometimes big, and then use the scoreboard as motivation while catching the other team going lax.
Despite Smith's excitement, many Knicks fans would prefer they take care of business tonight rather than endure the stress that would be involved if this series were prolonged.