Jaylen Brown, Celtics Beat Knicks to Keep Season Alive, Impress Fans amid Tatum Injury

The Boston Celtics championship defense is still alive.

In the team's first game since losing star forward Jayson Tatum, big nights from Jaylen Brown and Derrick White helped steer the team to a 127-102 victory over the New York Knicks and cut the series deficit to 3-2.

The Celtics had led by significant margins in each of the first four games and blew three of those leads. The depth of the team wasn't looking to let that happen in front of a home crowd at TD Garden.

The teams entered halftime deadlocked at 59 but a 32-17 advantage in the third quarter gave Boston a comfortable lead heading into the fourth. This is where the Celtics had faltered before in the series but Knicks guard Jalen Brunson fouled out and that severely cut New York's chances at crawling back.

Brunson had 22 points and six assists, Josh Hart had 24 points, seven rebounds and two assists and Karl-Anthony Towns had 19 points and eight rebounds.

White led the Celtics with 34 points and also added three rebounds, three blocks and two assists. Brown had 26 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds, Payton Pritchard had 17 points, five rebounds and three assists and Luke Kornet had 10 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks.

Fans took to social media to praise the Celtics for staying alive and earning the victory for Tatum.

The victory shows just how formidable the Celtics are even without a star talent like Tatum. However, a daunting task still awaits.

New York has two more chances to close out the series while Boston is still on the brink of elimination. The formula to win is there but the depth will continue to be tested by a Knicks team that should have some confidence on their home floor.

The Knicks will get a chance to clinch the series at home in Game 6, which will tip-off Friday at 8 p.m. ET.