The Boston Celtics walked into Game 5 facing elimination and answered with the type of grit that defines playoff basketball.
With the New York Knicks holding a commanding 3-1 lead, the Celtics had no room for error-and they played like it. What followed was a grueling, no-holds-barred physical battle at TD Garden that ended with Boston staying alive, and both teams nursing wounds.
Right from tip-off, the intensity was unmistakable. In a first-half sequence that set the tone for the rest of the game, Celtics big man Luke Kornet collided hard with Knicks forward Josh Hart underneath the rim.
Hart, who hit the floor violently, suffered a cut to the head that caused visible bleeding. He required quick attention and was later seen playing with a heavily bandaged head.
Hart‘s physical condition didn’t slow him down, but it clearly added fuel to an already combustible situation. The tension escalated in the second half, as New York’s Jalen Brunson landed a discreet elbow to Jaylen Brown‘s groin.
Brown responded minutes later with a sneaky low blow of his own-an apparent grab aimed at Hart, who retaliated with a push. Officials quickly stepped in, issuing technical fouls to both Brown and Hart.
The brief melee didn’t lead to ejections, but it captured the boiling point this series has reached. What’s typically considered gamesmanship took a backseat to raw emotion and physical dominance. Both benches had players fired up, and fans fed off every ounce of tension.
Celtics-Knicks becoming a battle for survival, not just wins
At its core, Game 5 became more than a contest between two storied franchises-it was a survival match. With the series now at 3-2, Boston forced a Game 6, shifting the action back to Madison Square Garden. The win didn’t just prolong the Celtics‘ season; it reignited belief in their championship aspirations.
This series has arguably been the most physically punishing of the second round. Every trip down the floor is a collision.
Every screen and rebound feels like a war. Unlike the finesse-heavy contests in other matchups, this Celtics-Knicks battle harks back to the rugged playoff battles of the 1980s and ’90s.
Read the full article here
