The Celtics regain their magic and take a 3-2 series lead against the Knicks.

From the editorial staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, May 15, 2025, p. a12

The reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics regained their mojo and kept their hopes of reaching the Eastern Conference finals alive after beating the New York Knicks 127-102 to cut their series deficit to 3-2.

Derrick White and Jaylen Brown led the Monarchs' offense. White had an unforgettable night at TD Garden with 34 points, three rebounds, and two assists; Brown, meanwhile, had 26 points, eight rebounds, and 12 assists.

In the absence of Jayson Tatum, Brown is the team's current center of gravity. The home team's number 7 was the best player in last year's Finals and excelled in front of his home crowd yesterday.

Payton Pritchard and Jrue Holiday contributed 17 and 14 points for the hosts, respectively.

Another surprise for the Celtics was Luke Kornet; the 7-foot-10 center became a defensive wall with his seven blocks and his intimidating effect on New York's offense.

The game was tied at halftime before the Celtics had a dominant third quarter, leading by 15 points entering the fourth.

Boston held the lead this time, winning by 25 points, and didn't let up late as they had in previous games in the series.

The Celtics were able to overcome the absence of their star player, Tatum, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the closing moments of Game 4. The player was ruled out of the remainder of the playoffs , and his participation in the start of the 2025-26 season is uncertain.

For the Knicks, Josh Hart stood out with 24 points, seven rebounds, and two assists; Jalen Brunson added 22 points, one rebound, and six assists.

Boston came into yesterday's game on the back foot, as no team has come back from 3-1 down since Denver did it twice in 2020. Before that, Cleveland came back against Golden State in the 2016 NBA Finals.

Only 14 times in the league's history have they come from behind in a tie from 3-1 down.

Game six will be played on Friday in New York.

With information from AFP

▲ Mexican Santiago Giménez and his team, Milan, suffered a major setback when they lost the Coppa Italia to Bologna, ending a 51-year wait for a prestigious trophy with a 1-0 victory at Rome's Stadio Olimpico. Dan Ndoye scored the winning goal for the Rossoblù , which also secured their Europa League spot. The tricolor could do little in the duel, coming on as a substitute in the 62nd minute and putting in a mediocre performance. Photo AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Thursday, May 15, 2025, p. a12