5 things to watch for in Game 5 of Celtics-Knicks

The Boston Celtics lost Game 4 121-113 to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night. They now find themselves trailing 3-1 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, and to make matters worse, they have to mount a comeback without Jayson Tatum.

With their backs against the wall, they have all the pressure to try and extend the series and their season. Here are five things to watch out for in Celtics-Knicks Game 5:

Aside from the Celtics creating a 3-1 hole that makes their job in this series so much tougher, they also have to do it without their best player. Tatum contributed 42 points before rupturing his Achilles tendon in the Game 4 loss. Obviously, the lack of his presence on the court is a massive hit for the Celtics.

That being said, if they do wish to win in Game 5 with Tatum absent, a few players will need to elevate themselves.

To start, Kristaps Porziņģis has looked off for most of the playoffs. He's battling some sort of illness that has limited his minutes and performance on the court. However, the Celtics will need him at top form in Game 5. With both Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson having strong series for the Knicks, Boston need their bigs - particularly Porziņģis - to combat the New York big-men threat.

Next, Jaylen Brown must be elite. With Tatum out, Brown in the only other player for the C's that can rise to a similar level. His postseason has been largely underwhelming, likely partially because of a knee injury. But, in Game 5 and onward, he has to be the No. 1 guy for Boston. If he can limit his turnovers, he will be off to a good start, but it goes beyond that. At the end of the day, the Celtics only have one guy, Brown, who can be a top dog, and he must be if the Celtics want a chance.

The Knicks as a team shot the lights out at MSG on Monday - 50-for-92 from the floor (54.3 percent) and 12-for-34 from three (35.3 percent) - but Jalen Brunson in particular has stood out. Brunson has had arguably the best series of any player on the court, and he's certainly been the best Knick. In Game 4, however, he found another level, going shot-for-shot with Tatum and finishing with 39 points in the winning effort.

In Game 5, he will surely be a difference-maker. Simply, if he's at his best (i.e. the same level as Game 4), the Knicks will have a great chance to end the series on Wednesday night, because the Celtics do not seem to have comparable firepower. Yet, if Brunson has an off night, the Celtics should be able to take advantage of that and will have a better chance to extend the series.

Watch out in Game 5 for what version of Brunson the Celtics face on Wednesday night. As mentioned above, the level of play Brunson brings could be the difference in the Celtics season ending or extending.

In the one game of the series the Celtics won, Game 3, Payton Pritchard led the charge for Boston with 23 points. Oddly enough, his play time again was diminished down to just 20 minutes in Game 4 - a decision that has earned some criticism for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. So he wasn't allowed to make his mark on Monday, but the Celtics seemingly needed it as players like Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, and even Al Horford struggled. Pritchard, typically the first off the bench, would have presumably replaced one of them.

In Game 5, he needs to have another 30-plus minute game like he did over the weekend. When he's on the court he's been incredibly influential all playoffs for the C's, particularly from three. Nothing would suggest that Pritchard's play will waver in Game 5 - obviously it's sports so it's unpredictable - but precedence would suggest he will be strong if he's afforded to opportunity to turn it on.

Rebounding has been a struggle for the Celtics for most of the series, but they particularly poor at gather them in Game 4. Where their rebounding has been especially concerning is in their own zone. On Monday, New York grabbed 13 offensive rebounds - often turning those into points - compared to just seven offensive rebounds for Boston. Overall the Celtics did get more rebounds (31 vs. 30), but the inability to limit the Knicks' offensive boards hurt them.

In Game 5, the Celtics must be diligent in gathering most of the boards. It may be difficult with Tatum, one of their better rebounders, out, but it will be imperative.

The Celtics have been strong in Game 5's over the last few years, although obviously, this Game 5, being down 3-1, is a much more high-pressure situation. Since 2022-23, Boston is 5-2 in Game 5 situations (all seven games were played at home).

The last time they were down 3-1 going into a do-or-die fifth matchup was in the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2023 playoffs against the Miami Heat. They won said game 110-97, but went on to lose that series in Game 7. So, there is precedence of the Celtics performing well with their backs against the wall in a similar scenario, but again, without Tatum the task is much tougher.

The Celtics find themselves in a win-or-go-home situation for the first time in two years. Coming back in this series with the Knicks will be as tough a task as they've had in this era. However, it starts with winning Game 5 on Wednesday. It will take a full-team effort without Tatum, but the C's have no other choice, and it's time to show the world what they are made of.

The Celtics and the Knicks continue the Eastern Conference Semifinals with Game 5 at TD Garden on Wednesday, May 14, at 7:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to tune into 98.5 The Sports Hub for the broadcast of the game.

Luke Graham is a digital sports content co-op for 98.5 the Sports Hub. He is currently a sophomore at Northeastern University studying communications and media studies. Read all his articles here, and follow him on X @LukeGraham05.