The Boston Celtics were able to pull off a dominant Game 5 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night to keep their season alive. Even without superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who went down with a torn Achilles in Game 4, the Celtics looked the part of a team with championship experience.
After the game was tied at 59 heading into halftime, Boston was able to pull away in the second half. Jalen Brunson picked up five fouls in the third quarter and fouled out in the fourth for the Knicks.
Leading the way for the Celtics was veteran guard Derrick White, who scored 34 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including knocking down seven of his 13 attempts from the 3-point arc. Jaylen Brown scored 26 points on 9-for-17 shooting to go along with 12 assists and eight rebounds.
Following the big win, an interesting statistic has surfaced about Boston when Tatum isn't playing.
During the 2024-25 NBA season, the Celtics went 10-2 without Tatum in the lineup. In 2023-24, they went 7-1 and they recorded a 5-3 record in 2022-23 without him. Those numbers come from UNSPORTSMANLIKE Radio on X.
Even without Tatum on the court, Boston has been an elite basketball team. Can the Celtics do the same and make a comeback from being down 3-1?
Beating New York at home is one thing. Boston will have to prove that it can go to Madison Square Garden and force a Game 7 on Friday night.
Brown and White showed that they're capable of leading this team. Payton Pritchard came off the bench to score 17 points and Luke Kornet even scored 10 points to go along with nine rebounds and seven blocks. Only time will tell, but this series may not be over just yet.
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum
Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
Game 6 will tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Friday night and will air on ESPN. If the Celtics can pull off a shocking win on the road, things will get very interesting.