Green Army vs Knicks G6 Preview: Brown Leads Team to Break Seven? Tatum missed 10 wins in 12 games

At 8 a.m. Beijing time on May 17, the Eastern Conference semifinals will continue, and the Knicks will play the Celtics at home to start Game 6 of the series. In the first five games, the Knicks led 3-2 and were one win away from advancing to the Eastern Conference finals. Tatum continues to miss the game due to injury, can Jaylen Brown lead the team to drag the series into a tiebreaker?

In the G5 game, the Green Army played a dominant performance in the face of a life-and-death battle, defeating the Knicks 127-102 to tie the overall score at 2-3. Tatum's serious injury only inspired the fighting spirit of the Green Army. In Tatum's absence this season, the Green have won 10 of 12 games, including two in the playoffs.

"It's easy for the outside world to look down on us," Jaylen Brown said, "and obviously what happened to JT [Tatum] is unfortunate, but we still have to keep fighting." I believe in this team, don't leave us out so early. ”

The one-sided Game 5 shifted the pressure completely on the Knicks, who must try to finish the series in G6 or the tiebreaker will be played in Boston. Brunson felt a sense of urgency after the team netted 25 points. He also stressed that the Knicks were not undermined by Tatum's injury.

"Not at all. Yes, they're missing a core, but it's a mature machine that has played at a high level without him many times before," Brunson said, "and we have to recognise that, believe in the tactical set-up, go all out, it's as simple as that." ”

Brunson scored 22 points in Game 5 but left the game with six fouls left in 7:19. Hart was the Knicks' bright spot, scoring 24 points on 5-of-9 three-point shooting, but O.G. Anunoby (1-of-12 with 6 points) and Bridges (4-of-14 with 9 points) were cold and shot just 35.8 percent from the field as a team.

"We had to play harder," Bridges admitted, "but I don't think we did. ”

On the other hand, the Green Army had six players score double-doubles: White scored 34 points on 7-of-11 three-pointers, and Brown contributed 26 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds for a quasi-triple-double. Porzingis missed the second half due to a viral illness, playing just 12 minutes in the first half to finish with one point and one rebound. Green coach Joe Mazzulla has revealed that Porzingis is experiencing symptoms of breathlessness.

Porzingis' exit unexpectedly made a comeback to substitute Luke Kknight. He stepped up in the second half and finished with 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks on 5-of-5 shooting, just two blocks short of the Celtics' all-time playoff record (Robert Williams' nine against the Nets in 2021).

"I'm just trying to contribute," Knight said, "and obviously our season is hanging by a thread, so I just want to be full of energy and give my best." It's a credit to the whole team – everyone stepped up, we connected with each other, played very aggressively and got the job done for the day. Now we have to pick ourselves up and fight again, the G6 needs a different energy. ”

Regardless of the Green Army's lineup on the court, Knicks coach Thibodeau is working hard to adjust his strategy.

"They've always had a lot of goalscorers on the pitch and that's not going to change," Thibodeau analysed, "and the scary thing about this team is that the defense is just as top-notch. We can't be slow to return to the defense, we can't give them open shots, we have to be close to the opponent when we change defenses, and improve the efficiency of communication. ”

While the Knicks still held the series lead, the Green went to New York with momentum as they tried to win a second game in a row.

"We did what we had to do and bring the series back to New York," Mazzulla, the head coach of the Green Army, said, "and you can't choose the test you face, but you can choose how you respond." ”

List of injuries and illnesses

Celtics: Tatum is out

Knicks: Achiuwa is doubtful

ESPN Predicted Win Rate:Celtics 42.1%, Knicks 57.9%