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.

The Boston Celtics are still alive against the New York Knicks. The Celtics pulled away to win Game 5, 127-102, on Wednesday night without star forward Jayson Tatum. The Knicks still lead the series, 3-2, and will have another chance to move to the Eastern Conference finals in Friday's Game 6.

Celtics fans remain hopeful for Jayson Tatum after he suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in a game against the Knicks.

The Knicks couldn't finish off the Celtics in Game 5 on Wednesday, with Boston staving off elimination despite being without superstar Jayson Tatum.

The Celtics are poised to have the most expensive payroll and tax bill in the history of the NBA thanks to the punitive new rules of the league's collective bargaining agreement (CBA), which was created in part to make life difficult for ball clubs like Boston with very stacked (and expensive) rosters.

Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks had the chance to put away the rival Boston Celtics and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals, but fell short in a physical contest that ended with Brunson on the bench.