It's going to be quite some time before Jayson Tatum suits up for the Boston Celtics again. The star forward has a long road ahead in his recovery from a torn right Achilles tendon. In the meantime, Boston has a playoff series that they're trying to win.
They took a step towards that ultimate goal in Wednesday night's Game 5, when they bested the New York Knicks in convincing fashion. It was a great reminder that the Celtics are a team. With or without Tatum, they believe that they've got the guys to win the battle.
"It's a team," said Jaylen Brown after the 127-102 victory. "We've always been a team. I've always preached team. I've done whatever to kind of push this team forward."
Brown, who did a tremendous job of [stepping up](https://hardwoodhoudini.com/boston-celtics-jaylen-brown-turned-disaster-into-triumph-stunning-game-5-takeover-new-york-knicks-nba-playoffs-joe-mazzulla) with the season on the line, nailed it on the head. The Celtics have plenty of talented players who can help them continue to push. When the opportunity presented itself, those guys rose to the occasion and delivered.
**Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are ready for the moment**
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Both Derrick White and Payton Pritchard gave Boston's offense a huge boost during key stretches of the game. Now, you may be saying, "How key could those stretches have been if this was a blowout?"
Well, this game could've gotten ugly very fast if it wasn't for White and his early shot-making. The Knicks ripped off a 7-0 run within the first few minutes and looked primed to suck the air out of the building. White then scored eight of the next 10 points for the Celtics and reset the momentum.
Had the 30-year-old not been calm in the moment, the game could've gotten away from Boston quickly.
He finished with 14 first-quarter points, including four threes, to help the Cs stay afloat as New York continued to push. Despite White's outburst, the Cs still found themselves down by two headed into the second.
After struggling in the opening minutes of the frame, Boston found themselves in a slugfest with the Knicks. The two sides were trading haymakers in hopes of gaining some separation on the scoreboard. Both White and Pritchard sank big triples to keep the Celtics in the fight when Josh Hart seemingly couldn't miss on the other side.
Boston finally built a major lead in the third quarter. They fueled themselves with great defense, but White served as the catalyst offensively. He poured in 13 points in the quarter, seven of which came from the free throw line. He aggressively drove to the basket and put pressure on the Knicks' defense, something that is atypical for him. White's offensive role is typically more of a catch-and-shoot type of thing. There have been several times where he's been able to take on a more creative role, but that isn't typically needed with Tatum out there.
The same can be said for Pritchard, who's been brilliant just about anytime he's had the chance in this series. He was the Celtics' leading scorer in their Game 3 win and got to show off more of his shot-creating ability. There weren't as many chances for him to create in Game 5, but this stepback on Jalen Brunson was a pretty sweet reminder that he's got that in his bag.
The guard duo combined to score 51 points to help keep Boston's season alive. They weren't the only ones who delivered in the big spot. Luke Kornet, Jrue Holiday, and Al Horford all had great moments, too. But these two offer the additional offensive creativity that the Celtics will need if they want to win this series.
As great as Brown was on Wednesday, he's still going to need support if New York dials up the pressure going forward. In that case, White and Pritchard have to continue to be ready when it's their time to shine.
Their creativity is going to go a long way as Tatum works his way back onto the court. His absence is a great opportunity for both players to grow their games and be that much better when he is back.
For now, the mission remains the same -- win the next game.