The New York Knicks had a chance to put away the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, but they weren’t able to get it done.
Instead, the two teams will square off again for a highly anticipated Game 6.
But the Celtics will remain without Jayson Tatum, who is out for the playoffs after rupturing his right Achilles tendon in Game 4.
Speaking to ESPN, Jalen Brunson said the absence of Tatum didn’t affect his team.
“No, not at all,” Brunson answered when asked whether the Knicks perhaps took their foot off the pedal as a result of Tatum being out of the lineup. “Yes, they are missing a big piece. But they are a well-oiled machine that has been in situations where they’ve played without [Jayson Tatum], and they’ve played well. We need to understand that and trust the game plan and play to win. It’s as simple as that.”
Some Knicks fans felt that Wednesday’s game was in the bag because the Celtics were without Tatum.
Tatum has been a monster throughout the entire regular season and during the playoffs.
With the Knicks already up 3-1, some felt their series win was a foregone conclusion.
And while New York remain favorites to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics put up more of a fight than expected during Game 5.
Derrick White and Jaylen Brown had superstar numbers, while big man Luke Kornet came to life off the bench with one of the most impressive games of his playoff career with 10 points, nine rebounds, and seven blocks.
Brunson swears that his team isn’t taking its foot off the gas, but some Knicks fans are worried.
The series is now 3-2, and they do not want to see things get tied up with Game 6.
