Celtics
“He came in and just seemed to be always in the right position, seven blocks is crazy."
Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet (40) reacts after a slam dunk during the fourth quarter in game five of the NBA Eastern Conference semifinal against the New York Knicks at TD Garden.
Luke Kornet recorded seven blocks in Wednesday's Game 5 win over the Knicks. (Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff)
By Conor Ryan
May 15, 2025 | 6:24 AM
3 minutes to read
[Celtics guard Jaylen Brown drives to the basket during the second quarter in Game 5 against the Knicks at TD Garden.
Jaylen Brown, Celtics show championship grit in Game 5 win over Knicks: Takeaways](https://www.boston.com/sports/boston-celtics/2025/05/14/jaylen-brown-celtics-show-championship-grit-in-game-5-win-over-knicks-takeaways/?p1=article_recirc_inline_feature)
#### NBA insider shares Jayson Tatum’s thinking on his recovery timeline
The Celtics needed someone to step up on Wednesday night against the Knicks.
With Jayson Tatum out of the picture, Boston’s frontcourt was already taking on water in do-or-die Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
To make matters worse, an ailing Kristaps Porzingis — who Joe Mazzulla said couldn’t breathe out on the court due to his lingering illness— was stapled to the bench in the second half following another tough outing (1 point, 1 rebound, 1 block over 12 minutes).
While lineup regulars Jaylen Brown and Derrick White were keeping their team in the fight, Boston was going to need another lift following a 59-59 deadlock in the first half against New York.
Advertisement:
The unlikely hero?
Bench regular Luke Kornet, who lifted his teammates up in the second half … by promptly swatting every Knicks shot attempt that floated in his general vicinity.
“Luke was huge tonight, defensively and offensively,” Brown said of the 7-foot-1 center. “He was stellar, and that’s the type of performances we need in the playoffs. Defensively, getting stops, making plays, big finishes. … Luke was great tonight.
With Porzingis once again hindered, Mazzulla’s decision to ramp up Kornet’s workload — especially in the second half — gave Boston the spark it needed with its season in the line.
Advertisement:
Over 26 minutes of action, Kornet scored 10 points (5-of-5 from the field) while adding nine rebounds and a whopping seven blocks.
As noted by Celtics stats guru Dick Lipe, Kornet became the first player in NBA playoff history to record at least 10 points, nine rebounds, seven blocks and finish with perfect shooting from the field.
“He was unbelievable,” White said. “He came in and just seemed to be always in the right position, seven blocks is crazy, he was unbelievable tonight and really stepped up when he needed him. He’s a had a great season, and he was big time for us tonight. … Yeah, I was barking with him. It’s just fun to see him do that.”
Kornet did most of his damage in the third quarter — playing a critical role in turning Boston’s 59-59 tie into a 91-76 cushion after 12 minutes of play. Kornet recorded five of his seven blocks over a six-minute stretch in the third quarter, steering Knicks players away from high-percentage shots in the paint.
Over the last decade, the only Celtics player to record more blocks in a playoff game than Kornet’s seven was Robert Williams III — who posted nine blocks in a 2021 matchup against the Nets.
Advertisement:
Kornet punctuated his breakout performance in the fourth quarter, swatting down a 3-point attempt by Josh Hart before throwing down a reverse alley-oop lob from Brown.
It remains to be seen if Kornet can replicate his impressive stat line on Friday night at Madison Square Garden. But the writing is on the wall that more reps are going to be prescribed for Kornet moving forward, especially if Porzingis continues to struggle with his lingering symptoms.
But be it off the bench or thrust into a starting role, Kornet said Wednesday that’s operating with the same mindset entering Game 6 against the Knicks.
“Whatever Coach asks me to do, I’m just there to do it,” Kornet said of his growing role this postseason. “Whether I’m starting or coming off the bench, not playing at all, that kind of comes with the responsibility that that is, and you have to do your best job with whatever position that you’re put in. And that’s what we’re always trying to do as a team.”
Profile image for Conor Ryan
Conor Ryan
Sports Writer
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
Sign up for Celtics updates🏀
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during basketball season.