Knicks miss chance to close out Celtics, face Game 6 at MSG Friday

'Bad history': Possible Knicks-Pacers playoffs match-up giving some fans PTSD

The New York Knicks are one win away from their first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, but some Knicks fans are old enough to remember the heartache. FOX 5 NY's sports producer Lou Albanese breaks down the team's "bad history" with the Indiana Pacers and what younger fans should look out for if the Knicks advance.

BOSTON - The New York Knicks couldn’t finish the job in Boston Wednesday night, falling 127-102 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. The series now returns to New York, where the Knicks will get another chance to close it out in front of a home crowd at Madison Square Garden.

The Celtics, down 3-1 in the series and missing star forward Jayson Tatum due to a season-ending Achilles injury, responded with their best performance yet — connecting on 22 three-pointers and riding a 34-point night from Derrick White, including seven from beyond the arc.

Knicks come up short as Celtics dominate late

Local perspective:

The Knicks held a nine-point lead early and were tied 59-59 at halftime, but things unraveled in the third quarter. A 23-9 run by Boston flipped the momentum and gave the Celtics a 15-point lead heading into the fourth. Jalen Brunson picked up his fifth foul late in the third and fouled out with over seven minutes to play, leaving the Knicks without their closer.

Josh Hart led New York with 24 points and briefly left the game in the first quarter after taking an elbow to the face that opened a gash. Brunson added 22 before fouling out. Mitchell Robinson also had a strong first half, hitting all four of his free throws — a rare bright spot given Boston’s repeated fouling strategy in this series.

Game 6 is set for Friday night in New York. A win would send the Knicks to the Eastern Conference Finals. A loss would force a Game 7 back in Boston on Monday.

How Game 5 played out

By the numbers:

Derrick White (Celtics): 34 points, 7 3-pointers

Jaylen Brown (Celtics): 26 points, 12 assists

Luke Kornet (Celtics): 10 points, 9 rebounds, 7 blocks

Josh Hart (Knicks): 24 points

Jalen Brunson (Knicks): 22 points, fouled out

Boston hit 22 3s, including 12 in the first half

Knicks were outscored 68-43 in the second half

The game turned physical in the third, with Hart and Brown going face-to-face in a brief confrontation, but the real damage came from Boston’s perimeter shooting. The Celtics’ energy carried over from the crowd into a near-flawless offensive rhythm.

What's next:

The Knicks return to MSG for a must-win Game 6 in front of a home crowd that’s been electric all postseason. With the series tightening and momentum shifting, head coach Tom Thibodeau will need to regroup his team — especially Brunson, whose presence in the closing minutes has been essential to New York’s late-game success.

A win Friday puts the Knicks into the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. A loss sends it back to Boston for a decisive Game 7.