What can we expect from Celtics without Tatum in Game 5 vs. Knicks? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury could have a huge impact on the future of the Boston Celtics, but they aren’t eliminated from the 2025 NBA playoffs just yet.
The Celtics trail 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks after losing 121-113 in Monday night’s Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. Tatum suffered his injury late in the fourth quarter of that defeat.
The loss of Tatum can’t be overstated. He is the team’s best player and one of the league’s top-five players overall. The superstar forward leads the Celtics with 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game in the playoffs.
Overcoming a 3-1 deficit with Tatum would have been a difficult challenge. Doing it without him is an enormous obstacle.
But the Celtics do have a lot of talent and playoff experience. So, what can we expect from Boston without Tatum in Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday night?
The Celtics are 16-3 (1-0 in playoffs) over the last two seasons without Tatum, but 11 of those 19 games were against teams that didn’t make the playoffs, including a couple late regular season matchups last month versus the Wizards, Hornets and Trail Blazers.
In those 18 regular season games that Tatum has missed since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Jaylen Brown leads the Celtics with 26.8 points per game. Brown played in 13 of those 18 games Tatum missed.
Brown is obviously the player who needs to step up the most with Tatum out.
The reigning Finals MVP is more than capable of scoring 30-plus points in a playoff game. In fact, he did it in Game 2 of the first round with 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a win over the Orlando Magic that Tatum missed due to a wrist injury. Brown has 14 30-point playoff games in his career.
White is another player who has to provide more scoring in Tatum’s absence. He shot pretty well in Game 4, going 6-for-11 from 3-point range and finishing with 23 points.
Holiday has to be more aggressive offensively, too. He has scored only 12 points in the last two games combined, and he’s shooting 4-for-14 on 3-pointers in the series.
Pritchard deserves to see a larger role with Tatum out of the lineup. The Sixth Man of the Year Award winner played just 20 minutes in Game 4 after scoring 23 points in 35 minutes during Boston’s Game 3 win. The C’s need his outside shooting and tenacity at both ends of the floor. He also pushes the pace as well as any player on the roster.
Porzingis making an impact would be a massive lift for Boston. He has struggled to be effective in the playoffs as he deals with the effects of an illness he battled in the regular season. The 7-foot-3 center has scored 20 points in the four games against the Knicks combined. He has only played more than 20 minutes in one of those matchups. Can Porzingis give the Celtics 12-15 points and good interior defense in Game 5?
🔊 Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: C’s season pushed to the BRINK after losing Game 4, Jayson Tatum to injury | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
The best way for the Celtics to survive without Tatum might be to keep letting it fly from beyond the arc.
The C’s are fully capable of getting hot from 3-point range, but outside of going 20-for-40 in Game 3, they have largely struggled on these shots against the Knicks. Boston is shooting just 33.5 percent on 3-pointers in the series.
The Celtics have built a lead of at least 14 points in every game this series. They have a lot of talent on their roster, even without Tatum. Two of the last three games are at TD Garden, including a potential Game 7.
Yes, beating the Knicks three straight times without Tatum is going to be extraordinarily tough. And the Knicks, to their credit, have played fantastic in the fourth quarters of this series. But to totally count out the Celtics would be foolish.
What can we expect from Celtics without Tatum in Game 5 vs. Knicks?
The Celtics face a 3-1 series deficit without their best player.
Jayson Tatum’s Achilles injury could have a huge impact on the future of the Boston Celtics, but they aren’t eliminated from the 2025 NBA playoffs just yet.
The Celtics trail 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semifinals series against the New York Knicks after losing 121-113 in Monday night’s Game 4 at Madison Square Garden. Tatum suffered his injury late in the fourth quarter of that defeat.
The loss of Tatum can’t be overstated. He is the team’s best player and one of the league’s top-five players overall. The superstar forward leads the Celtics with 28.1 points, 11.5 rebounds, 5.4 assists and 2.1 steals per game in the playoffs.
SIGN UP HERE Overcoming a 3-1 deficit with Tatum would have been a difficult challenge. Doing it without him is an enormous obstacle.
But the Celtics do have a lot of talent and playoff experience. So, what can we expect from Boston without Tatum in Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday night?
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The Celtics are 16-3 (1-0 in playoffs) over the last two seasons without Tatum, but 11 of those 19 games were against teams that didn’t make the playoffs, including a couple late regular season matchups last month versus the Wizards, Hornets and Trail Blazers.
In those 18 regular season games that Tatum has missed since the start of the 2023-24 campaign, Jaylen Brown leads the Celtics with 26.8 points per game. Brown played in 13 of those 18 games Tatum missed.
Brown is obviously the player who needs to step up the most with Tatum out.
The reigning Finals MVP is more than capable of scoring 30-plus points in a playoff game. In fact, he did it in Game 2 of the first round with 36 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in a win over the Orlando Magic that Tatum missed due to a wrist injury. Brown has 14 30-point playoff games in his career.
White is another player who has to provide more scoring in Tatum’s absence. He shot pretty well in Game 4, going 6-for-11 from 3-point range and finishing with 23 points.
Holiday has to be more aggressive offensively, too. He has scored only 12 points in the last two games combined, and he’s shooting 4-for-14 on 3-pointers in the series.
Pritchard deserves to see a larger role with Tatum out of the lineup. The Sixth Man of the Year Award winner played just 20 minutes in Game 4 after scoring 23 points in 35 minutes during Boston’s Game 3 win. The C’s need his outside shooting and tenacity at both ends of the floor. He also pushes the pace as well as any player on the roster.
Porzingis making an impact would be a massive lift for Boston. He has struggled to be effective in the playoffs as he deals with the effects of an illness he battled in the regular season. The 7-foot-3 center has scored 20 points in the four games against the Knicks combined. He has only played more than 20 minutes in one of those matchups. Can Porzingis give the Celtics 12-15 points and good interior defense in Game 5?
🔊 Celtics Talk POSTGAME POD: C’s season pushed to the BRINK after losing Game 4, Jayson Tatum to injury | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
The best way for the Celtics to survive without Tatum might be to keep letting it fly from beyond the arc.
The C’s are fully capable of getting hot from 3-point range, but outside of going 20-for-40 in Game 3, they have largely struggled on these shots against the Knicks. Boston is shooting just 33.5 percent on 3-pointers in the series.
The Celtics have built a lead of at least 14 points in every game this series. They have a lot of talent on their roster, even without Tatum. Two of the last three games are at TD Garden, including a potential Game 7.
Yes, beating the Knicks three straight times without Tatum is going to be extraordinarily tough. And the Knicks, to their credit, have played fantastic in the fourth quarters of this series. But to totally count out the Celtics would be foolish.
