"He was having difficulty breathing, but he wanted to be out there. If we absolutely needed him, we would have been able to go to him.” The post Everything went the Celtics’ way in Game 5, other than further concern over Kristaps Porzingis’s lingering illness appeared first on Boston.

Stephen A. Smith sent a clear message to the New York Knicks ahead of Friday's Game 6 matchup against the Boston Celtics.

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks look to close out their series against the Boston Celtics in Game 5 of this second-round NBA Playoffs matchup.

Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis, right, battles for a rebound against New York Knicks guard Josh Hart, left, during the first half of Game 1 of an NBA basketball second-round playoff series Monday, May 5, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) AP

The red-hot New York Knicks face off with the Boston Celtics tonight in an elimination Game 5 for Boston. Jayson Tatum remains out with a lower leg injury sustained in Game 4.

In the home locker room about 90 minutes before tipoff on Wednesday, the Celtics’ black jerseys with green lettering, all pressed and pristine, hung neatly in the locker of each player. And in the right corner, at Jayson Tatum’s stall, the superstar forward’s No. 0 rested on a hanger, too.

The Celtics had no easy fix to replace Jayson Tatum entering their do-or-die Game 5 matchup against the Knicks on Wednesday night. Joe Mazzulla began the game by reinserting Kristaps Porzingis into the starting five in place of Tatum despite the big man’s ineffective play for much of the series due to illness.