It doesn’t bode well when your knight in shining armor leaves a battle prematurely. So when Jayson Tatum limped off the court in Game 4 against the Knicks, the Greens saw their season slowly crumble in front of their eyes. They entered Game 5 staring down the battle of a shotgun. But then they won 127-102, and changed everything. Suddenly, the whole complexion of the series turned on its head. Was this a one off? Maybe. But not playing Tatum might’ve actually given the Celts a surprise advantage, which the Knicks weren’t ready for.
When you’re the spearhead, all the offensive flow goes through you. It’s obvious. The Celtics rank dead last for possessions per game, with 99.3. But factor in Jayson Tatum’s possessions alone, and it shows his importance. So when you’re missing out on 22.23 possessions per game alone, that should’ve been the writing on the wall. But no. Joe Mazzulla’s change in style caught Thibs off-guard, negating all the film he’d have had going into the game.
“They had eight games of data and a certain comfort level about how the Celtics play with Jayson Tatum. More than that, if you go back to the last few years, but certainly this year they played him eight times. And you know how Tatum is going to play, you know there’s going to be isolations, you know how certain matchups are going to go and switches. And the Celtics played very differently than they normally do,” said Brian Windhorst on Brian Windhorst & the Hoop Collective podcast.
Mar 14, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) reacts against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
So, what was different? They didn’t switch up their usual playstyle- which was capitalizing on shooting from deep. In fact, they shot a ridiculous 44.9% from deep (22/49 3PM). What was different was how Mazzulla played Jaylen Brown. He essentially played the forward role, and was the main facilitator. Derrick White handled the scoring duties, with a 34-point masterclass. Brown himself managed a 26/8/12 double-double, which happened to catch the Knicks off-guard.
“Jaylen Brown played point forward, essentially, more so than he ever has before. had 12 assists in the game. Now, one of the reasons he had 12 assists was because the Celtics were hot shooting the three, which they have been generally for the last three games. They were ice cold the first two… But that was part of it. But the Celtics’ isolation game was way down. Their ball movement and body movement was up and they generated a lot of open looks. And, you know, it was a minor advantage,” said Windy in his breakdown of their playstyle.
It was a Mazzulla masterclass. For New York, they get a second bite of the cherry to finish the series, and head into their first ECF in 25 years. Can the Celtics emulate the same game at the Garden without Jayson Tatum? Maybe, but they’ll have to do it with the same squadron, with the exception of Kristaps Porzingis. According to Mazzulla, he’s nowhere near a full fitness, and also explained his situation after just 12 minutes played in Game 5.
Mazzulla Opens Up on Decision to Remove Kristaps Porzingis After Just 12 Minutes
Kristaps Porzingis‘ illness has been a real factor. He’s only played 82 minutes this series, which is just 16.2 minutes per game. That included a horrific 1-pointer in 12 minutes in Game 5. And it’s not just the numbers- he just looked out of place. The likes of Mitchell Robinson ran circles around him. When asked about the decision to remove him, Mazzulla spoke of a collective team decision.
“Mitchell Robinson was just moving faster than him. He was just running circles around him when he was out there. So they put Kornet in the game and Mazzulla said that was because Porzingis couldn’t breathe… I said to Mazzulla, ‘Just to clarify while I talk about it in ESPN platforms, this was a medical decision, not a coach’s decision. In other words, you were not benching him. Was he was removed from the game?’ and he’s like ‘yes, was a decision made between Chris and I- Chris Abstini. He basically was protecting his player, I think, even though I think it was a coach’s decision,” said Windy on his pod.
There is a reprieve though. KP has been left off the injury report leading up to Game 6. Everyone knows their lack of organization without the Unicorn on the floor. But regardless of his inclusion, it’s do-or-die for both teams. More so for the Knicks than the Celtics.
Mar 25, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) in the game against the Atlanta Hawks in the first quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
“They’ve got this in the bag. There’s a reason why Knicks fans got very offended when you said on TV and we said on the pod that the series is not over yet. And I think we saw in game five why we said it wasn’t over yet. And they better take care of business at home in game six, because if they go back to Boston for game seven, haven’t blown this game, I’m not going to feel very good about their chances of escaping from the series,” said Windy.
Regardless of their surprise win, Jayson Tatum is a huge loss. The Knicks might not have had film for their play without him, but they do now. And they’ll be ready, in front of their fans. Do you think the Celtics’ season is over, or will we be heading to the TD Garden for Game 7?
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