Celtics Stay Alive with Game 5 Win Over Knicks
Derrick White Leads Boston to Victory
BOSTON (AP) — Derrick White scored 34 points. He made seven 3-pointers. This led the Boston Celtics to a 127-102 Game 5 win over the New York Knicks on Wednesday night. The win keeps them in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Celtics’ First Home Win Without Tatum
The Celtics made 22 3-pointers. This helped them win their first home game of the series. It was also their first win without Jayson Tatum. Tatum is out with a season-ending Achilles tendon injury.
Series Moves to New York
The Knicks will try to win the series on Friday in New York. If the Celtics win, Game 7 will be in Boston on Monday.
Key Performances
- Jaylen Brown scored 26 points and had 12 assists.
- Luke Kornet had 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks.
- Josh Hart led the Knicks with 24 points. He played with a bloody gash on his face.
- Jalen Brunson added 22 points. He fouled out with 7:19 left in the game.
Historic Comeback Attempt
The Celtics aim to be the 14th team in NBA history to come back from a 3-1 deficit. There have been 294 attempts.
Game Highlights
Boston trailed by nine points in the first half. They closed the third quarter with a 23-9 run. This gave them a 91-76 lead going into the fourth quarter. Brunson was on the bench for the final 2:45 of the third quarter after getting his fifth foul.
The Celtics kept their momentum in the final period. They led by as much as 28 points.
Physical Game
The game was physical. There was a brief face-to-face skirmish between Hart and Brown.
Offensive Energy
The Celtics started strong. White made five 3s. The team made 12 3s in the first half.
The Knicks led by as much as nine points. They made eight 3s and got 10 second-chance points. Mitchell Robinson made all four of his free throws in the first half. This stopped Boston’s strategy of intentional fouls.
At halftime, the score was tied 59-59.
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