The New York Knicks entered the halftime break tied at 59 in Game 5 of their second round series against the Boston Celtics. They were one good half of basketball away from their first Eastern Conference Finals in 25 years.
The Knicks fell apart in the second half of Game 5
Instead, the wheels completely fell off in the second half. Boston would outscore New York 68-43 in the latter half en route to a dominant victory at home to keep their season alive.
The Knicks offense became incredibly stagnant in the second half, and Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns both found themselves in foul trouble. Them being off the floor allowed Boston to go on a run and pull away with an inspiring win with Jayson Tatum done for the series after suffering a torn achilles tendon in Game 4.
Josh Hart, who finished with a team-high 24 points, including five three-pointers made, didn’t mince words when discussing their effort level in the third quarter.
“We played terrible. From the top down, it was a terrible quarter,” Hart said via SNY.
The Knicks need to play strong for the entire game
Third quarters have haunted the Knicks all postseason. So much so that Mikal Bridges made the suggestion of the team doing layup lines during the halftime break to stay focused on the game and be prepared for the second half.
The method seemed to have been working, as they looked a lot better in third quarters afterwards, which ultimately led to more wins. However, they regressed to doing the things that cost them winnable games in Game 5.
Looking ahead, they still have two more chances to knock off the defending champions once and for all. However, they need to be able to stay composed and play hard for all 48 minutes if they want to reach the Eastern Conference Finals.
The series is now heading back to New York, where the Knicks have an opportunity to close out the series in front of the Madison Square Garden crowd. Game 6 will tip off at 8 P.M. EST Friday and be broadcast nationally on ESPN.