After Game 4, you could hear a pen drop in the Celtics locker room. Until now, it was a universal understanding that they were praying for Jayson Tatum. However, the team knew their cornerstone had to undergo surgery for a ruptured Achilles. The silence was to absorb the fact and prepare for the ongoing series. The Celtics knew that without their leading scorer, their game plan had to shift. And the Shamrocks came well prepared.
In Game 5, the Celtics found contributions from Derrick White and an evolved Brown, helping them stay alive in the postseason. But their tactics weren’t to replace Tatum. According to Brian Windhorst, after game 4, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford decoded what it would take for them to find success without their talisman. They put emphasis on strengthening their defense.
“Jaylen Brown and Al Horford both spoke to the team. But the big thing that they talked about was, look, we lost this guy who’s our leading scorer, we have got to defend, we’ve just got to defend. And I think they’ve had some good defensive stretches in this series, just happens to be not in fourth quarters mostly,” Windy pointed out on Hoop Collective.
The team talk led to a major revelation for the Celtics. While Kristaps Porzingis can be impeccable as a rim protector, his illness caused trouble. Windhorst felt Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson was “dominating” him due to his struggles with staying sharp. That’s when Joe Mazzulla made a key change, which activated the Celtics defensively.
Apr 27, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) looks on against the Orlando Magic in the fourth quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Backup center Luke Kornet stepped up, and he managed to change the entire tide of the series. The Knicks couldn’t openly attack the paint. Kornet recorded 7 blocked shots and revived the Celtics’ hopes of beating the Knicks. “Kornet shut that off in addition to shutting off the paint,” Windhorst said about the 29-year-old center’s matchup against Robinson.
The Celtics held the Knicks to shooting just 35.8% from the field. Their smothering defense disrupted the Knicks’ successful late-game offense. But that was one of just three games that the Celtics needed to pull in order to make history. And aside from Tatum, they have several other concerns in their ranks.
Another major change for the Celtics incoming?
Kornet’s impact was the difference maker for the Celtics. Operating as a traditional five, he made all of his five shots and was a +20 in just 25 minutes on the floor. But with the nature of the postseason, the Knicks are going be better prepared to face the threat of Kornet inside the paint. That means Mazzulla has a lot more thinking to do.
But before deciding how he uses the shot-blocking center in a different way, there is a Kristaps Porzingis dilemma he needs to address first.
The Latvian center’s mysterious illness has severely affected the way he has impacted the Celtics. In Game 5, he could only play 12 minutes, forcing Mazzulla to bring Luke Kornet in. And while Kornet can do some of the things Porzingis can, he can’t shoot the ball, which forms the identity of the Shamrocks.
Lucky for Mazzulla, reinforcement has arrived just in time. After missing three games due to an ankle injury, Sam Hauser made his return last game. He hit two threes, but with an expanded role, he can serve as a lethal perimeter threat. That’s why Windhorst feels the Celtics could opt to increase his minutes for Game 6.
“One thing he could do is he could start Sam Houser. One of the things that did happen in this game, the Celtics, in addition to losing Tatum, they essentially have lost Porzingis because he’s five of 21 in the series. So they’re down, in my view, like two starters,” Windhorst suggested.
In 19 starts during the regular season, Hauser has proven to be a reliable scoring option. He averages 12.2 points while shooting close to 45% from three when sharing the floor with the starting string. His floor spacing could naturally open up driving lanes and also force the Knicks’ defense to respect his shooting prowess.
Normally, Mazzulla may have given Hauser a little jogging time before unleashing him fully. However, the Celtics are facing elimination. And with no other choice to replace Porzingis, the stretch forward serves the purpose.
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