Boston

Celtics

Brown is the other All-NBA player on the roster, and with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) done for the season, Boston needed to turn to Brown. He took advantage and was fantastic as both a scorer and a facilitator. Tatum had been Boston’s leader in assists in both the regular season and the playoffs, which is an underrated aspect of his game that the Celtics will miss. If Brown continues to dominate on offense like he did in this game Boston, will have a legitimate chance to win this series, even without Tatum.

Kristaps Porzingis got the starting nod in place of Jayson Tatum (Achilles), but Kornet replaced him to start the second half. Porzingis didn’t end up seeing the floor after the break, while Kornet played a significant role in helping Boston take over the game. Porzingis has struggled mightily during this series, and there were reports that he is having stamina issues. After the game, head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked about benching Porzingis and said, “He couldn’t breathe. He was available if absolutely necessary.” Porzingis only had one point, one rebound and one block in 12 minutes on Wednesday. It’s unclear if Kornet will start in Game 6 on Friday, but he has clearly at least earned more playing time.

In the wake of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear, Boston needed someone to step up on the offensive end. White filled the void with his highest-scoring performance of the postseason and his most points in a game since early March. White struggled in the first two games of this series but has made at least 50 percent of his shots in each of his last three games. He has been able to fill whatever role the Celtics have needed him to fill since he was traded to Boston, and he should continue to be a primary scoring option for them as they head to New York for Game 6.

In Boston’s first game without Jayson Tatum (Achilles), Porzingis will make a return to the starting unit in a bigger lineup for the Celtics. Payton Pritchard, Sam Hauser and Luke Kornet should fill out the reserve minutes.

Hauser missed Games 2-4 after injuring his ankle in Game 1 of this series. With Jayson Tatum (Achilles) done for the year, Hauser could be relied on to play extended minutes as Boston looks to keep its season alive.

Hauser has been out of the Celtics’ lineup since spraining his ankle during Game 1. His likely return will give Boston another rotation player to call upon, as Jayson Tatum (Achilles) is out for the foreseeable future. With Kristaps Porzingis (illness) still not back to full strength, Hauser will play rotation minutes if cleared, potentially as a starter.

Tatum was injured during the fourth quarter of Monday’s Game 4 loss to the Knicks, with his leg giving out as he attempted to corral a loose ball. The Celtics star could not put any weight on his leg while being helped to the locker room, and the worst fears have officially been realized. Not only will Tatum miss the remainder of this playoff series, which Boston trails 3-1, but he’ll likely miss most of the 2025-26 season. One would expect Kristaps Porzingis to return to the starting lineup in the short term, and the Celtics have serious long-term questions to answer following Tatum’s injury.

White was the only consistent scorer for Boston outside of Jayson Tatum. The 30-year-old point guard got all of his points on six three-pointers and five free throws. Unfortunately for the Celtics it wasn’t enough as Boston was trailing when Tatum went down with a lower leg injury in the final minutes, essentially taking a comeback off the table. The Celtics will look to stave off elimination with their backs against the wall at home in Game 5 on Wednesday.

Tatum was playing a whale of a game before going down with what appeared to be a non-contact lower body injury in the final minutes. The 27-year-old small forward had given the Celtics everything they needed up to that point as he kept them in the game with his fifth career 40-point playoff performance. While specifics have yet to come out about Tatum’s injury, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters that he’ll undergo an MRI on Tuesday. It’s safe to say it was a significant injury given Tatum’s anxious reaction and that he was carried off the floor by trainers before taking a wheelchair to the locker room. The Celtics are now down 3-1 in the series and with Tatum unlikely to make it back before a possible Game 7, a potential comeback has become that much more difficult.

While Hauser was listed as questionable for Game 4 with an ankle injury, he hasn’t seen any game action since leaving early in Game 1 of the series. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla turned to Payton Pritchard for a series-high 35 minutes off the bench in Game 3 as the Celtics got back in the series with a 22-point victory. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see that recipe for success replicated in Game 4.