The Knicks were flat in the second half as the Celtics beat New York, 127-102, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Boston, without Jayson Tatum, forced a Game 6, still down 3-2 in the series, heading back to New York. They are 10-2 this season with Tatum. The Knicks’ five-game road winning streak was snapped as they will look to close out a series at home for the first time since 1999 on Friday.
Here are the takeaways…
-With Tatum out with a ruptured Achilles, the Celtics put Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup, looking for offense from their big man. However, he had just one point on 0-for-3 shooting in the first quarter — and saw a combined 12 minutes on the court for the rest of the game. Derrick White pulled his weight, though, hitting four three-pointers en route to scoring 14 points in the opening frame. Boston was 7-for-15 from three in the first quarter, which helped them stave off a 7-0 Knicks run with a 10-2 run of their own fueled by defense and offensive rebounding.
For the Knicks, they capitalized on defense by forcing five Celtics turnovers and lived in the mid-range. Mitchell Robinson also provided six points in the first quarter while hitting 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Yes, he was perfect from the line in the first quarter. Mikal Bridges led the team with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting while the rest of the team provided a balanced attack.
There was a stoppage of play with 3:30 left in the first when Josh Hart went up for a layup but Luke Kornet elbowed him above the eye, incidentally, that drew blood. Trainers had to stop the blood and bandage Hart up while he had to change his top and shorts.
–Karl-Anthony Towns scored five quick points to start the second quarter, but would pick up his third foul with 10 minutes to go in the first half. Coach Tom Thibodeau had to relegate his big man to the bench. But Robinson played a huge role in the second quarter — and the first half. In 15 minutes, the center scored six points and came down with 11 rebounds (six offensive).
The Knicks got major contributions from the bench in the second quarter, going up by as much as nine points thanks to Miles McBride and Cameron Payne while Jalen Brunson was on the bench to start the frame. However, the Celtics would go on a 13-2 run to take a lead of their own before both teams began shooting lights out from all over the court.
New York shot 45 percent in the quarter while the Celtics shot 56 percent, including 5-for-10 from three. Jaylen Brown was the star of the second, scoring 12 of his 17 first-half points. Both teams went into halftime tied at 59-59.
-It was physical and a bit chippy in the first half, but it got really chippy at the start of the third quarter as Hart and Brown got into a shoving match after a Brown foul in the first couple of minutes.
Boston made it a point to drive to the basket and got the Knicks in the penalty with eight minutes and change left. They took 18 free throws in the quarter alone. However, the Celtics were 17-for-26 from the line through three.
But it wasn’t just their offense; Boston’s defense made the Knicks’ offense seem out of sorts. Taking awkward shots and forcing turnovers. Both led to a 16-3 run that gave the Celtics a 14-point lead. Brunson would pick up his fifth foul with three minutes left in the quarter while KAT sat on the bench with four fouls.
Boston outscored the Knicks 32-17 in the frame.
-The fourth started much like the third, with the Celtics making threes and contesting every Knicks shot with relentless defense, pushing their lead to 22 points. Brunson started the frame with the five fouls and consistently drew fouls while driving to the hoop. However, the Knicks’ defense was not up to snuff. Allowing open threes and the Celtics to outrebound them.
Brunson’s night would be cut short after picking up his sixth foul with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the game. Without their captain, the Knicks slowly but surely wilted away before Thibodeau waved the white flag with less than three minutes remaining and the Celtics up 26 points.
-Brunson scored 22 points in 32 minutes before fouling out, while Hart provided 24 points — making five threes — coming down with seven rebounds and dishing two assists. OG Anunoby scored just six points on 1-of-12 shooting, had eight rebounds and two assists. Towns scored 19 points and had eight rebounds while Bridges, after a quick start, scored just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.
-White had a game-high 34 points and made seven threes, while Brown had the best performance. His 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 12 assists, eight rebounds and a steal helped calm the Celtics without their best player. Al Horford (12 points), Jrue Holiday (14) contributed starting while Payton Pritchard (17) and Kornet (10) came up big off the bench. Kornet in particular was huge, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking seven shots.
Boston shot 52 percent from the field and 46 percent (21-46) from three.
Game MVP: Jaylen Brown
With Tatum down, last year’s Finals MVP had to step up and he did on both ends of the floor. He was a game-high plus-28 on the court.
Highlights
Mikal Bridges with the first points of Game 5 💪
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/hd9spL2ox3
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
Mitchell Robinson makes a pair of free throws as the Celtics go to Hack-A-Mitch pic.twitter.com/zP4xEYuzS6
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
DEUUUUUCCCCCCCEEEEEE
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/cki9pM6UKR
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
Brunson ➡️ Bridges before the buzzer!
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/esSnFjTOwr
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
Jalen Brunson from deep in the corner 🎯
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/R4eZW2O9n8
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2025
What’s next
The Knicks will look to close out the series at home on Friday night. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
The Knicks were flat in the second half as the Celtics beat New York, 127-102, in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Boston, without Jayson Tatum, forced a Game 6, still down 3-2 in the series, heading back to New York. They are 10-2 this season with Tatum. The Knicks’ five-game road winning streak was snapped as they will look to close out a series at home for the first time since 1999 on Friday.
Here are the takeaways…
-With Tatum out with a ruptured Achilles, the Celtics put Kristaps Porzingis in the starting lineup, looking for offense from their big man. However, he had just one point on 0-for-3 shooting in the first quarter — and saw a combined 12 minutes on the court for the rest of the game. Derrick White pulled his weight, though, hitting four three-pointers en route to scoring 14 points in the opening frame. Boston was 7-for-15 from three in the first quarter, which helped them stave off a 7-0 Knicks run with a 10-2 run of their own fueled by defense and offensive rebounding.
For the Knicks, they capitalized on defense by forcing five Celtics turnovers and lived in the mid-range. Mitchell Robinson also provided six points in the first quarter while hitting 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Yes, he was perfect from the line in the first quarter. Mikal Bridges led the team with seven points on 3-of-6 shooting while the rest of the team provided a balanced attack.
There was a stoppage of play with 3:30 left in the first when Josh Hart went up for a layup but Luke Kornet elbowed him above the eye, incidentally, that drew blood. Trainers had to stop the blood and bandage Hart up while he had to change his top and shorts.
–Karl-Anthony Towns scored five quick points to start the second quarter, but would pick up his third foul with 10 minutes to go in the first half. Coach Tom Thibodeau had to relegate his big man to the bench. But Robinson played a huge role in the second quarter — and the first half. In 15 minutes, the center scored six points and came down with 11 rebounds (six offensive).
The Knicks got major contributions from the bench in the second quarter, going up by as much as nine points thanks to Miles McBride and Cameron Payne while Jalen Brunson was on the bench to start the frame. However, the Celtics would go on a 13-2 run to take a lead of their own before both teams began shooting lights out from all over the court.
New York shot 45 percent in the quarter while the Celtics shot 56 percent, including 5-for-10 from three. Jaylen Brown was the star of the second, scoring 12 of his 17 first-half points. Both teams went into halftime tied at 59-59.
-It was physical and a bit chippy in the first half, but it got really chippy at the start of the third quarter as Hart and Brown got into a shoving match after a Brown foul in the first couple of minutes.
Boston made it a point to drive to the basket and got the Knicks in the penalty with eight minutes and change left. They took 18 free throws in the quarter alone. However, the Celtics were 17-for-26 from the line through three.
But it wasn’t just their offense; Boston’s defense made the Knicks’ offense seem out of sorts. Taking awkward shots and forcing turnovers. Both led to a 16-3 run that gave the Celtics a 14-point lead. Brunson would pick up his fifth foul with three minutes left in the quarter while KAT sat on the bench with four fouls.
Boston outscored the Knicks 32-17 in the frame.
-The fourth started much like the third, with the Celtics making threes and contesting every Knicks shot with relentless defense, pushing their lead to 22 points. Brunson started the frame with the five fouls and consistently drew fouls while driving to the hoop. However, the Knicks’ defense was not up to snuff. Allowing open threes and the Celtics to outrebound them.
Brunson’s night would be cut short after picking up his sixth foul with a little more than seven minutes remaining in the game. Without their captain, the Knicks slowly but surely wilted away before Thibodeau waved the white flag with less than three minutes remaining and the Celtics up 26 points.
-Brunson scored 22 points in 32 minutes before fouling out, while Hart provided 24 points — making five threes — coming down with seven rebounds and dishing two assists. OG Anunoby scored just six points on 1-of-12 shooting, had eight rebounds and two assists. Towns scored 19 points and had eight rebounds while Bridges, after a quick start, scored just nine points on 4-of-14 shooting.
-White had a game-high 34 points and made seven threes, while Brown had the best performance. His 26 points on 9-of-17 shooting, 12 assists, eight rebounds and a steal helped calm the Celtics without their best player. Al Horford (12 points), Jrue Holiday (14) contributed starting while Payton Pritchard (17) and Kornet (10) came up big off the bench. Kornet in particular was huge, grabbing nine rebounds and blocking seven shots.
Boston shot 52 percent from the field and 46 percent (21-46) from three.
Game MVP: Jaylen Brown
With Tatum down, last year’s Finals MVP had to step up and he did on both ends of the floor. He was a game-high plus-28 on the court.
Highlights
Mikal Bridges with the first points of Game 5 💪
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/hd9spL2ox3
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
Mitchell Robinson makes a pair of free throws as the Celtics go to Hack-A-Mitch pic.twitter.com/zP4xEYuzS6
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
DEUUUUUCCCCCCCEEEEEE
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/cki9pM6UKR
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
Brunson ➡️ Bridges before the buzzer!
(via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/esSnFjTOwr
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 14, 2025
Jalen Brunson from deep in the corner 🎯
(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/R4eZW2O9n8
— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 15, 2025
What’s next
The Knicks will look to close out the series at home on Friday night. Tip is set for 7:30 p.m.
