The Boston Celtics live to play at least one more game in their second-round playoff series against the New York Knicks, winning 127-102 Wednesday night at TD Garden. Boston cut its series deficit to 3-2 with Game 6 to be played Friday night in New York.
Whether the Celtics could win Game 5 was in considerable doubt after leading scorer Jayson Tatum was lost for the remainder of the postseason (and likely all of next season) with a torn right Achilles tendon suffered during Monday’s Game 4 loss. But for at least one night, Derrick White stepped up to replace Tatum’s missing scoring.
White finished with 34 points, hitting 7 of 13 3-pointers, to lead all scorers. Jaylen Brown followed with 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds. Payton Pritchard contributed 17 points off the bench, and Jrue Holiday added 14 with seven boards.
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Jalen Brunson scored 22 points for the Knicks but fouled out with 7:13 remaining in the game. He picked up his fifth foul with 2:45 left in the third and sat the rest of the quarter. However, Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau put Brunson back in when the fourth quarter began, knowing the team needed his late-game scoring.
With Brunson out early, Josh Hart led New York with 24 points and seven rebounds, with Karl-Anthony Towns adding 19 points and eight boards.
Luke Kornet block party
However, the true standout performance was on the defensive end from reserve center Luke Kornet, who blocked seven shots and scored 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting with nine rebounds. With Kornet providing energy with his rim protection and movement in Boston’s half-court offense, it didn’t matter that starter Kristaps Porziņģis scored only one point in 12 minutes of play.
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Kornet’s swat patrol also effectively neutralized the Knicks’ frontcourt, helping to limit OG Anunoby to six points, Mikal Bridges to nine and Mitchell Robinson to eight (though he grabbed 13 boards). That put even more pressure on Brunson to carry the offensive load in the fourth quarter. However, that became impossible once he fouled out.
Boston created some separation from New York midway through the third quarter with an 11-0 run punctuated by six points from White (on a 3 and three free throws) and another long-range make by Payton Pritchard. The Celtics hit four 3s in the quarter and shot 44.9% (22 of 49) from long range for the game.
With Brunson gone, Boston ran out to a 120-97 lead and head coach Joe Mazzulla emptied his bench with 2:34 remaining. Neemias Queta was a beneficiary, scoring four points while JD Davison hit a 3 as the Celtics closed it out.
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Tough fouls define first quarter
The intensity of Game 5 could be typified by two fouls that happened on the same possession with three minutes remaining in the first quarter, Hart took an elbow from Kornet that opened up a cut above the Knicks forward’s left eye.
Blood streamed down Hart’s face, which raised concerns that he might have to leave the game. As officials reviewed whether Kornet committed a flagrant foul, Hart’s cut was closed by team trainers and he changed into a new uniform. After a common foul was ruled, Hart made both of the free throws he drew on the play.
However, referees also had to review an exchange that occurred right before the foul on Hart. Jalen Brunson was attempting to drive around Jaylen Brown on the left side of the arc. But as he tried to push Brown away to get free, Brunson elbowed the Boston forward in the stomach.
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Brown went to the floor in pain as Brunson drove to the lane and passed to Hart. With play stopped as Hart was attended to, Brown yelled at officials for not calling Brunson’s foul. Yet upon review, Brunson was ruled to have made a basketball move and no foul was called.
Brunson later took an elbow to the jaw from White on a drive to the basket early in the third quarter. No blood was drawn and Brunson was called for a defensive foul. But tight defense has come with a price frequently throughout this bruising matchup.
Game 6 will be played on Friday at Madison Square Garden.
This news was originally published on this post .
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