A 3-1 deficit has been conquered only 13 other times in the history of the NBA playoffs. The Boston Celtics will look to etch their name on that list and will have to do it without their leader and superstar, Jayson Tatum.
"JT" was diagnosed with a torn achilles on Tuesday and has already undergone surgery. This means his Celtics teammates will try to rally around him, starting in Wednesday night's Game 5.
Boston is 9-2 without Tatum this year, including two wins against the Detroit Pistons. Their two losses came against the Orlando Magic, and the seven remaining wins came against teams that missed the playoffs.
This Knicks team has already provided a lot of problems for Boston, even with Tatum on the floor, but it's time for the reigning champs to take it one game at a time. They still have the talent and depth to string some wins together, as these three players will be a big part of the comeback if the Celtics still have any life in them.
1. Jaylen Brown
For the Celtics to have any chance of coming back in this series, Brown needs to live up to his All-Star name and then some. He will need to be efficient in scoring the ball and defending the Knicks' wings, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby, who caused problems in Game 4.
Dealing with a knee impingement for the latter half of the season and into these playoffs, Brown has looked limited in every game except the Game 2 win against Orlando without Tatum.
Averaging 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists this series against the Knicks, Brown will have to take his game a step further in the wake of Tatum. Brown's 37.7/22.6/70.8 shooting splits won't cut it against a team like the Knicks, who pose two great wing defenders in Bridges and Anunoby. More attention will be drawn to Brown, so he will need to be a quick decision maker when handling the ball, looking to dish out to shooters, a skill that Tatum does so well.
Jaylen's 3.5 turnovers per game in this series are a jump from the 2.6 per game he committed in the regular season. He will need to limit these turnovers and defend without fouling (3.3 fouls per game vs. the Knicks) for him to play his best, and for the Celtics to have their best chance of winning.
With the city on your shoulders and the Celtics season on the line, how will you respond Jaylen Brown? pic.twitter.com/RYY8118Ogp
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) May 14, 2025
Brown will have to hover around the 30-point mark for Boston to avoid being sent home, and will have to play like the Finals MVP he was just last year. He is now going to be leading this Celtics team without Tatum, as all eyes will be on him for the remainder of the Celtics' season.