BSJ Game Report: Knicks 121, Celtics 113 - Tatum suffers apparently serious injury, C's on verge of elimination

NEW YORK -- Everything you need to know about the Celtics' loss to the Knicks in Game 4 of their East semifinal series, with BSJ insight and analysis.

IN A NUTSHELL

The Celtics started strong behind Derrick White, the Knicks stormed back, but Boston closed the first on a 12-0 run to go up 11. The teams played even in the second despite the Knicks' bigs causing Boston some trouble. The Knicks dominated the third behind 18 from Jalen Brunson, giving New York a three-point lead heading into the fourth. The Celtics' defense struggled to get stops, but things truly fell apart when Tatum went down with a non-contact injury and had to be helped off the floor. 

Box Score

HEADLINES

- Tatum hurt: There's no other way to say it, this looked bad. It’s the exact kind of non-contact injury that tends to produce the worst kind of injuries, so there is significant worry for Tatum’s health. After the game, Joe Mazzulla simply said it’s a lower-body injury and there will be an MRI tomorrow. Tatum was helped off the floor after the injury and wheeled into the back, where he stayed until all the media was gone. None of the team saw or talked to him after the game. His family was in the room with him, which is typically not something you see when dealing with a sprained ankle. I fear the worst. 

- Where was the defense? The Celtics fell into a familiar pattern of getting up to a good lead and then getting crushed under a wave of Knicks baskets. 

“It was terrible defensively tonight, to be frank,” Jaylen Brown said. “Just no resistance. We was just too concerned. Offense was great, our offense was fine. We made a lot of shots, but just no resistance on defense.”

The Celtics gave up 13 offensive rebounds and were bothered by the double-big lineup. Once the second chances started falling, the Knicks went on long run of makes and the water couldn't be turned off.

- On the brink: Once again, a defending champion is on the verge of getting bounced in the second round. Even before the Tatum injury, it looked like the game was slipping away, and Boston was going to be fighting for their lives. Now it looks like the end of their season is coming soon. 

TURNING POINT

The Celtics went up 14 with 9:06 to go in the third, which was their largest lead of the night. Then Brunson scored seven straight points in a 9-0 run to cut the lead to five. The extended run was 28-13 over those nine minutes and New York led heading into the fourth. Boston still had chances, but the momentum was all on New York’s side. 

THINGS I LIKED

- Jayson Tatum: He was having what would have been a signature game had the Celtics been able to hold on and win. He had 42 points on 57/44/100 splits, eight rebounds, four assists, four steals, and two blocks. He was the only reason they had a chance in the fourth. 

- Derrick White: 23 points on 6-12 shooting. He was 6-11 from 3, though he started 4-4. He and Tatum were carrying the C’s and it looked like they might be enough to win the game. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE

Kristaps Porzingis: He said after the game that he felt better than he has, but he played no better in Game 4. In fact, I think he was worse. He only gave Boston seven points, and most of his shot attempts looked weak and mostly attempts to get fouled rather than just shoot the ball. The Celtics needed a good Porzingis in this series and they're getting nothing. 

Jaylen Brown: He had some decent moments on his way to 20 points, but if felt like he was trying to do too much all night long. It felt like the rest of the Celtics were running offense, and Brown was trying to do things by himself. 

Jrue Holiday: A tough night for him to give them nothing. He was a -12, the worst on the team. When does that ever happen to Holiday? I don’t know if it was the hamstring or what, but he was ineffective. 

HIGHLIGHTS

TWO TAKES KARALIS WILL PROBABLY REGRET LATER

- The Celtics demise is shameful: I wasn’t quite as confident in their championship hopes this year as I was last year, but I didn’t think they’d be in this position. 

I’m sure I’ll write this full column later, so I won’t let completely loose just yet, but these guys are going to look back on their careers and regret squandering this opportunity. The Knicks are playing better than we realized they would, but the Celtics are complicit in their own demise. 

This game shows why the Game 1 and 2 collapses were particularly damaging. The Celtics should have been up 3-0 in this series and this was the game where the Knicks put up one last gasp for their fans. Instead, the Celtics are going to go home and potentially lose this series on their home floor. 

I guess that would be fitting, though. The Celtics were weirdly normal at home all year, so one more home loss would be the cherry on this sundae. 

One day, when their careers are over, the guys on this team will look back on this series and realize they blew it. 

- They DO still have enough to win … theoretically

Losing Tatum is a killer, but at the same time, Brown has had some good games without Tatum this season. 

They’ll have to play perfectly, which will be tough, but the Celtics have enough talent to stay alive. Will it be enough to win three straight? Probably not, considering how this series has gone, but the talent is still there. 

The pressure is on Holiday, Porzingis, and White to have big scoring nights. The pressure is on Brown to be a distributor and ceiling raiser. 

They certainly have the pieces to win a game. And if they win, they can try to figure out the next game at that point. 

Next up: Game 5 is at TD Garden on Wednesday night at 7 p.m.