Final: Celtics 127, Knicks 102 - Kornet's defense, White's 34 keep Celtics alive

(1) BOSTON CELTICS vs (3) NEW YORK KNICKS

Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 5 (Knicks lead 3-1)

TD Garden, 7 p.m. - TNT

Line: Celtics -4.5

INJURIES

BOSTON

OUT: Jayson Tatum (Achilles)

PROBABLE: Sam Hauser (ankle)

NEW YORK

NONE

FIVE THINGS I’M LOOKING FOR

1. Fight: The reaction to Tatum’s injury has been a whole lot of “the season is over” kind of stuff, so I would hope the guys in the locker room take umbrage with being written off. No team wants to lose their best player, but the Celtics are built to withstand absences from key players. 

So the first step in doing so is having that fight in them to prove to people that this series isn't over yet. No matter who says what on TV or in comments sections, that locker room is full of competitors with egos, and no one wants to be written off because of another guy’s injury. 

One way or another, I’m going to be talking to a bunch of pissed off guys after the game. It might as well be guys pissed that they were written off prematurely. 

2. Playing connected: This is going to be where Tatum’s injury weirdly helps the Celtics by getting them to focus and then gets them to do the little things off the ball to bend New York’s defense. 

Let’s face it, there can be a lot of standing around with Tatum on the floor. With Jaylen Brown as the lone star, guys will have to move because he’s going to get a lot of attention and there will be openings to attack. Doubling Brown makes a lot of sense, so they have to play connected basketball to take advantage of that. 

We should see the Celtics run an offense that has a lot more movement than we’re used to. 

3. Rebound: Mitchell Robinson made too much of an impact in Game 4. Someone has to be responsible for boxing him out so someone can clear the defensive board. Boston can’t just let him keep multiple possessions alive. 

4. Kristaps Porzingis: After Game 4 he said “Tonight was the first time I felt decent, honestly. Just everything. My energy, I was more like uplifted, and maybe didn't have my best game, anyway, but my energy was good and I felt like I could go a bit more up and down, so that was a positive.”

Okay then, if that was a positive, then maybe we’re finally ready to see some level of the real Kristaps Porzingis. 

If not now, then when? He HAS to be the mismatch problem starting tonight. He has to go up with the intention of scoring, not just drawing fouls. He HAS to play with some level of force and be the guy the Celtics envisioned him being in a playoff series. 

5. Jaylen Brown: Do NOT try to do too much. This is not about making Game 5 the Jaylen Brown show. Brown HAS to realize that he’ll get most of the credit just by playing a normal game and the Celtics winning. He just has to move the ball, then move himself into space, and get himself open when the ball cycles back to him. 

If he plays like he did in Game 4, Boston is cooked. But if he plays a faster style of basketball, attacks early, and gives the ball up when a second defender comes, then Boston will win this. 

The Celtics can still win this series. Losing Tatum brings them back to the pack as far as championship hopes, but the remaining Celtics are more than capable of winning three in a row. 

Follow along with my thoughts as the game goes on. They’ll show up below and in the comments section, so hop in and share your opinion as well.