The New York Knicks had a chance to close out the defending champions on Wednesday, but a brutal second half ultimately led the Boston Celtics to keep their season alive with a 127-102 blowout win despite not having Jayson Tatum. New York now holds a 3-2 series lead with it heading back to Madison Square Garden.
A poor second half by the Knicks led to their demise
The Knicks played strongly in the first half and entered the halftime break tied at 59. All they needed was a strong second half, and they would come out with a win and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, they had a rough second half that saw them get outscored 68-43. Jalen Brunson recorded five fouls in the third quarter alone, which limited his playing time and therefore his on-court effectiveness. He would later foul out in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics were sparking it from three all night long, as they knocked down 22 threes on 49 attempts. Derrick White and Jaylen Brown were responsible for 10 of those made threes, and New York did not have an answer for either of them, despite the Celtics playing without Tatum.
The Knicks’ defense in transition and around the perimeter has been a problem all season, and if the trend continues into Game 6, they could be in trouble. There is a lot of correcting they need to do before the next game tips off.
OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges provided nothing offensively for the Knicks
Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, the two defensive wings who have also stepped up offensively, provided nothing on either end of the floor in Game 5.
Bridges and Anunoby combined to shoot just 5-for-26 from the field and score 15 points. Bridges had the lowest plus-minus on the team at -25, and Anunoby was a -15.
Those two have brought the intensity all series long, but in Game 5, neither of them showed up when the Knicks needed them. Luckily, they have room for error considering that they still have two more chances to close them out, but they must get the job done in Game 6.
Overview
The Knicks will have to wait just a little longer to reach their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years. They will have their second opportunity to do so on Friday when the series heads back to Madison Square Garden for Game 6, which will tip off at 8 P.M. EST.