Derrick White delivered a playoff career-high 34 points as the Boston Celtics stayed alive with a 127-102 win over the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Wednesday night.
Boston made 22 three-pointers and held the Knicks to just 35.8% shooting, extending the series despite being without Jayson Tatum, who is out for the remainder of the postseason due to an Achilles injury.
The defending champions jumped ahead with a 23-9 run to end the third quarter and never looked back, stretching the lead to as many as 28 in the final period.
White’s seven triples led a balanced attack that included 26 points and 12 assists from Jaylen Brown, along with 17 points from Payton Pritchard off the bench.
Luke Kornet added 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks while starting the second half in place of Kristaps Porzingis, who was limited by an ongoing viral illness.
The Celtics improved to 2-0 this postseason when facing elimination and earned their first home win of the series, cutting New York’s lead to 3-2.
Jalen Brunson had 22 points but fouled out with 7:19 left in the fourth quarter. Josh Hart scored 24 and briefly exited in the first quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow that opened a cut above his eye.
Boston’s physical play set the tone early. Both Hart and Brown picked up technical fouls after a brief confrontation during a tense stretch in the second quarter.
Despite trailing by as many as nine in the first half, the Celtics closed the gap behind White’s hot shooting, entering the break up 59-58 after knocking down 12 threes in the first two quarters.
The Knicks were outscored 68-44 in the second half and managed just 17 points in the third quarter.
Mitchell Robinson scored eight points and grabbed 13 rebounds for New York while shooting 6-for-6 from the free-throw line — a reversal from previous games where Boston often employed the hack-a-Robinson strategy.
Game 6 will be played Friday night at Madison Square Garden, where the Knicks will have another chance to close the series.
If necessary, a Game 7 would take place in Boston on Monday.
The Celtics are attempting to become just the 14th team in NBA history to overcome a 3-1 series deficit.
