BOSTON — The Celtics endured some of their darkest days in recent franchise history following their Game 4 loss to the Knicks. Jayson Tatum‘s season-ending Achilles injury cast doubt and uncertainty on the organization’s future. Yes, the C’s were down 3-1 in the East semifinals, but the outside noise wondered aloud what the team would like beyond this season.
But inside the locker room, even though the mood was undoubtedly disappointed, the Celtics still knew what was ahead of them: Game 5 against the Knicks. After all, that’s all they could look to considering they were in the middle of a playoff series. So, they relied on their two trusty veterans in Jaylen Brown and Al Horford to lead the way. The two spoke with the team Tuesday to ensure they wouldn’t let this season go to waste.
“Just come out and play,” Brown said of his message. “Obviously, the air kind of left the room after hearing the news with JT. So we didn’t want to go out like that. We didn’t want to make no excuses. We didn’t want to come out and give up or just turn the season in like what everybody else probably would expect.
“So we just said to the guys, said to each other, let’s come out, keep an open mind. Just come out and play basketball. Be ready to go and guard your (expletive) off and take it from there, and we was able to find a way to win tonight.”
Their collective message got through. The Celtics blew out the Knicks 127-102 in Game 5 to force the series back to New York for Game 6. While the C’s are still down 3-2 in the East semifinals, they at least held their heads high in front of their home crowd. The last time the TD Garden crowd saw them, the C’s dropped their heads after collapsing in back-to-back games.
Not this time. Not with the season on the line. Not after Tatum‘s injury put a damper on their season. The C’s got contributions all across the roster. Brown was excellent, flirting with a triple-double on his way to 26 points, eight rebounds and 12 assists. Derrick White scored 34 points and ignited the crowd when he knocked in his first four 3-pointers just minutes into the game. Luke Kornet came off the bench and finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and a loud seven blocks.
“I appreciate the fans that showed up tonight,” Brown said. “It was a great atmosphere. It was loud. I know it’s easy to kind of write things off. Obviously, unfortunate what happened to JT, but we still got basketball to be played. I believe in this group, so don’t count us out just yet.”
It’s no surprise to see Brown and Horford take the reins and galvanize their teammates. Brown has talked long about being a captain, and as the reigning NBA Finals MVP, he knows his role on the team. Horford is the longtime veteran now in his 18th season in the league. When Horford speaks, the team listens. So the collective influence of those two carries a lot of weight amongst the defending champions.
So, for at least one night, the Celtics showed their might and pride. They reminded the league that, yes, Tatum is their best player, but their strength also comes from this talented, connected cast. The Celtics have a tough road ahead as they’re still down 3-2 to the Knicks. Life will be difficult without Tatum, who was his All-NBA self in Game 4 with 42 points before going down. But the C’s will be ready for Game 6 — they are the defending champs, after all.
“That’s just who they are as people, just the character of those guys,” C’s coach Joe Mazzulla said. “All these guys have been around the league a long time. They’ve seen a lot, and to me, you just rely on the character of the guys, the togetherness, the staff. At the end of the day, you don’t get to pick the test that you have. You just pick how you respond to them, and that’s kind of how life works.”