NBA playoffs takeaways: Celtics narrow series to 3-2 in 127-102 win over Knicks

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The Boston Celtics live to play another day, beating the New York Knicks 127-102 in Game 5 Wednesday night and narrowing New York’s series lead to 3-2.

Boston won its first game of the series since the injury to star Jayson Tatum, who tore his Achilles in Game 4. The Knicks kept it tight in the first half, but were outscored by the Celtics 32-17 in the third quarter. Without Tatum, Derrick White led the way for Boston with 34 points, three rebounds and two assists, alongside Jaylen Brown’s 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds.

Jalen Brunson scored 22 for the Knicks before fouling out with less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Knicks and Celtics play Friday at 8 p.m. ET.

Celtics 127, Knicks 102

(Knicks lead series 3-2)

EVERYTHING CLICKING FOR BOSTON☘️

Leading on TNT with their sights sets on a Game 6 👀 pic.twitter.com/gxcFJWtZeA

— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025

Knicks fall apart in the third quarter

The Knicks’ 25-year drought of not making the Eastern Conference Finals will have to wait a few more days, at least.

After going into halftime tied with a Tatum-less Celtics, Boston blew the door off the Knicks in the third quarter en route to a massive win. New York’s transition defense was abysmal and allowed Boston’s best shooters to step into comfortable 3s. Then, the halfcourt defense began to crumble and those same tremendous shooters were taking practice shots in a halfcourt setting.

The Knicks were in foul trouble for most of the night. Brunson had five fouls in the third quarter alone and fouled out with over seven minutes left in the game.

Boston’s defense was sound, and the tweak to have Brown guard Brunson paid off tremendously. New York shot 34 percent from the floor before coach Tom Thibodeau decided to pull his starters.

The Knicks still have a 3-2 series lead and need just one more victory to reach the Eastern Conference final. They need to wrap it up as soon as possible, though, as the fast-paced and well-rested Pacers are awaiting their next opponent.

However, despite leading the series, New York has a minus-30-plus point differential in this series. They’ve trailed big in every game. The Knicks can’t keep letting this happen. — James L. Edwards III, Knicks staff writer

Benching Porziņģis for Kornet pays off

Kristaps Porziņģis entered Game 5 shooting 5-for-18 in the series. Battling through an illness that first started impacting him in late February, he was clearly slow on both ends of the floor over the first four games. With Tatum sidelined by a ruptured Achilles tendon, the Celtics started him next to Al Horford anyway.

The decision did not work. Over Porziņģis’ 12 first-half minutes, the Celtics were outscored by 12 points. He missed all three of his field goal attempts and only grabbed one rebound, continuing an ineffective playoff run. With the season on the line, coach Joe Mazzulla benched the big man for the entire second half.

To start the third quarter, Mazzulla replaced Porziņģis with Luke Kornet, who delivered one of his best halves ever. Kornet swatted five Knicks shots during an incredible third quarter. He finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks to keep the Celtics alive. He was impactful enough in Game 5 that it’s even easier to question why Mazzulla stayed with Porziņģis as much as he did earlier in the series. — Jay King, Celtics staff writer

Rare fouls from Brunson

The surprise from Wednesday night isn’t that the Celtics won in their home building. It’s how it happened. The Boston avalanche began at the beginning of the third quarter and didn’t stop until it was too late. The Celtics drew fouls. They got to the free-throw line 18 times in the period. They drained 3s and got out in transition. The Knicks shot only 4 of 20 from the field in the third.

It was no surprise the defending champs could go on a potentially season-altering run, even without Tatum. But the shocker came with it: It seemed almost as if the Knicks let it happen.

Brunson, who rarely fouls, committed four fouls just in the third. The Knicks’ starting lineup, which has underwhelmed since in 2025 and was a minus-22 in this series, was struggling again. After strong first halves from reserves Mitchell Robinson and Miles “Deuce” McBride, Thibodeau didn’t make a substitution until late in the quarter. By the time the bench players came in, the Knicks had let go of the rope. — Fred Katz, senior NBA writer

Brown comes through for Boston

With Tatum gone, Brown had to step up. But he has looked like a shell of himself all series. Could he really transform into, well, Brown? There was no doubt by the end of the third quarter. Brown was not his usual explosive self, which may never be a thing for the rest of this still interminable playoff run. But he showed he can manage a game from the ground, executing every facet of the game plan to perfection after halftime.

The Celtics had a chance to get into the bonus early, so Brown kept driving at Karl-Anthony Towns and Brunson until the Celtics could just live at the line. He even got Brunson to foul out early in the fourth quarter, allowing the Celtics to hold onto a big lead.

Kornet changed the game in the second half, and White got them there, but Brown showed he can step up in Tatum’s absence to run this Celtics team the way they always have. Who knows if this will last through Game 6, but at least he can leave Celtics fans on a high note if this was their last time at the Garden this season. — Jared Weiss, Celtics staff writer

(Photo: Brian Fluharty / Getty Images)

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