
Celtics Beat Knicks to Stay Alive in the NBA Play-Offs
Derrick White leads charge as Boston avoids elimination; Timberwolves send Warriors home
For a team on the brink, the Boston Celtics showed the heart of champions—and then some. Down 3-1 in their Eastern Conference semi-final series against the New York Knicks and missing their biggest star, Boston came out swinging at TD Garden on Wednesday night to keep their NBA play-off hopes alive.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined following surgery on a ruptured Achilles—an injury he suffered during a gut-wrenching game four loss—it was up to the rest of the Celtics to deliver. And deliver they did.
Led by a breakout 34-point performance from Derrick White and a near triple-double by Jaylen Brown, the Celtics dismantled the Knicks 127-102 in front of a roaring home crowd to force a game five back in New York.
“We made winning plays on both ends of the floor,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said after the game. “They made enough plays to win—and that gave us another chance to play.”
It was a night full of resolve, resilience, and a reminder of why Boston entered these play-offs as the reigning NBA champions.
White-hot performance fuels Celtics revival
Celtics surge past Knicks in Game 5
With Tatum out, all eyes turned to the supporting cast. And Derrick White seized the moment with authority. The guard, known more for his hustle than highlight-reel plays, dropped 34 points on the night, shooting 60% from the field and going 6-for-9 from deep.
Jaylen Brown added 26 points of his own, along with 12 assists and eight rebounds in one of his most complete performances of the postseason so far. His court vision and composure were vital in keeping Boston’s offense humming.
The Celtics dominated early and never looked back. By halftime, they were up 17 and had already forced the Knicks into double-digit turnovers. Boston’s ball movement, aggressive perimeter shooting, and suffocating defense were back in full swing—and the Knicks didn’t have an answer.
Game five now shifts the scene to Madison Square Garden on Friday night. Tip-off is set for 8:00 p.m. local time (1:00 a.m. BST Saturday), and it promises to be a tense, high-stakes clash in one of the NBA’s most iconic venues.
Knicks stunned but not finished
For the Knicks, the game was a harsh reality check after winning two straight and putting themselves in position to knock out the champs. Julius Randle, who had been solid throughout the series, struggled to find his rhythm under Boston’s relentless pressure.
RJ Barrett and Jalen Brunson both put in solid efforts, but the Knicks as a unit couldn’t keep pace with Boston’s intensity and shot-making. They’ll need to regroup quickly if they want to avoid letting the series slip away entirely.
One silver lining for New York is the return home. The Garden faithful will no doubt be out in full force, and the Knicks have already shown they can go toe-to-toe with Boston. But they’ll need to rediscover their early-series edge—and fast.
Timberwolves reach Western Conference Final after dominant run
While Boston was staving off elimination in the East, the Minnesota Timberwolves were busy punching their ticket to the Western Conference final. They wrapped up a 4-1 series win over the Golden State Warriors with a 121-110 victory at Target Center in Minneapolis.
Julius Randle starred again for Minnesota with 29 points, while rising star Anthony Edwards added 22 points and 12 assists in another all-around display. The Timberwolves’ physicality, depth, and self-belief have carried them through one of the most impressive play-off runs in recent franchise history.
“It’s great,” Randle said. “We’ve had a season full of adversity. Coach [Chris Finch] said at the end of the regular season that we didn’t do anything drastic—no trades, no firings. We just stuck together and got through it.”
Minnesota now awaits the winner of the Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder series, where the Thunder currently lead 3-2. Either way, the Wolves will be brimming with confidence, especially after handling the Warriors in such convincing fashion.
Warriors fall short without Curry
For Golden State, this year’s play-off exit will sting, though it doesn’t come entirely as a surprise. They haven’t looked the same since losing Stephen Curry to a hamstring injury in game one, and they never truly recovered.
“Injuries are part of the play-offs,” head coach Steve Kerr said. “I learned a long time ago that the play-offs are really about health and then just guys stepping up and making big shots, big plays in key games. That’s what decides every series.”
Klay Thompson and Andrew Wiggins did their best to pick up the slack, but the Warriors’ lack of depth and defensive lapses ultimately cost them. It’s the kind of early exit that may prompt serious questions about the future of this Golden State core.
Looking ahead in the NBA Play-Offs
The NBA play-offs are always unpredictable, and this year is no different. With the Celtics forcing a game five and the Timberwolves now comfortably waiting in the Western Conference final, the path to the NBA Finals remains full of twists and turns.
Boston’s story now hinges on whether they can go into New York and steal a win without Tatum. If White and Brown can replicate Wednesday’s performance, anything is possible. But the Knicks, buoyed by their home crowd, will be desperate to avoid letting a golden opportunity slip away.
Meanwhile, Minnesota will watch and wait, knowing they’ve done their part. Their transformation from a chaotic, underachieving squad to a well-drilled, playoff-ready machine is one of the more heartening stories of this postseason.
For now, both coasts are alive with play-off energy—and if the past few nights have taught us anything, it’s that in this league, you never count anyone out.
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