The Knicks won Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.
The Knicks won Game 4 at Madison Square Garden on Monday.Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
The Celtics were loud and boisterous while facing elimination in Game 5 and won in dominant fashion Wednesday. Now, they have the opportunity to even the Eastern Conference semifinals at three games each when they visit the Knicks on Friday night in New York.
Boston may benefit from playing at Madison Square Garden. During the regular season, the Celtics led the league and set a franchise record with 33 road wins.
The Celtics are 10-2 without Jayson Tatum this season, including 2-0 in the playoffs. In the absence of Tatum, who is out because of the Achilles’ injury he suffered in Game 4, Derrick White (34 points) and Jaylen Brown (26 points, 12 assists, eight rebounds) delivered dominant performances in Game 5. Center Luke Kornet filled in for ailing Kristaps Porzingis with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting, nine rebounds, and seven blocked shots.
Porzingis, who continues to be affected by a viral illness, didn’t play in the second half. Boston coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis was having trouble breathing.
However, only Tatum was listed on the Celtics’ official injury report ahead of Game 6.
Knicks star Jalen Brunson found himself in foul trouble in Game 5, and scored 22 points before fouling out with 7:19 left to play. Josh Hart led the team with 24 points and made five of nine 3-point attempts.
If necessary, Game 7 would be on Monday at 8 p.m. The Eastern Conference Finals are scheduled to start on Wednesday.
Here’s your preview.
When: Friday, 8 p.m.
Where: Madison Square Garden, New York
TV, radio: ESPN, WBZ-FM 98.5
Line: New York -2.5. O/U: 210.0.
CELTICS
Season record: 67-25. vs. spread: 44-48. Over/under: 42-48, 2 pushes
Last 10 games: 6-4. vs. spread: 5-5. Over/under: 5-4, 1 push
KNICKS
Season record: 58-35. vs. spread: 45-45, 3 pushes. Over/under: 47-45, 1 push
Last 10 games: 6-4. vs. spread: 6-4. Over/under: 4-5, 1 push
TEAM STATISTICS (postseason)
Points per game: Boston 108.2, New York 105.7
Points allowed per game: Boston 98.3, New York 108.2
Field goal percentage: Boston .451, New York .443
Opponent field goal percentage: Boston .428, New York .443
3-point percentage: Boston .366, New York .358
Opponent 3-point percentage: Boston .307, New York .344
Stat of the day: The Celtics have outscored the Knicks by 90 points from 3-point range through five games.
Notes: The Knicks shot just 35.8 percent from the field with OG Anunoby (1-for-12, six points) and Mikal Bridges (4-for-14, 9 points) both having poor outings in Game 5. ... The Celtics had six players score in double digits on Wednesday. ... Brunson made it clear the Knicks didn’t relax due to Tatum’s misfortune. “No, not at all. Yes, they are missing a big piece, but they are a well-oiled machine that has been in situations where they’ve played without him, and they’ve played well,” Brunson said. “We need to understand that and trust the game plan and play to win. It’s as simple as that.”
Rumsha Siddiqui can be reached at rumsha.siddiqui@globe.com. Follow her on X @rumshasidd.