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.

The Celtics played their best game of the series on Wednesday night after receiving a message from a hobbled Jayson Tatum.

Kornett was the presence inside the Celtics have needed Kristaps Porzingis to be this series. Jaylen Brown also had 26 points, 12 assists.

Kristaps Porzingis didn't play in the second half of the Game 5 win and the illness once again affected the big man.

Karl-Anthony Towns was 1-for-3 from three in Wednesday's loss, but if the Knicks want to close out the Celtics, they need to get more out of their big man.

For the second game in a row, White had the hot hand in the first quarter, draining his first four 3-point attempts.

Facing elimination, the Boston Celtics were led by Derrick White and Jaylen Brown to get the Game 5 victory and force a Game 6 against New York.

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.