BOSTON — The Celtics didn’t have Jayson Tatum. The Knicks were missing Karl-Anthony Towns.&nbsp;

<a href="https://nypost.com/2025/05/14/sports/knicks-throttled-by-celtics-as-they-blow-chance-to-finish-off-champs/">Game 5’s 127-102 ugly loss to the Celtics</a> produced another no-show until garbage time from the Knicks center, whose impact and aggressiveness in this series remains below his All-Star status.&nbsp;

On Wednesday, the Celtics felt so comfortable about KAT’s height advantage they used their 6-foot-4 point guard, Jrue Holiday, to defend the 7-footer on the perimeter. Luke Kornet then doubled Towns if he got too close to the basket.&nbsp;

It worked exquisitely for Joe Mazzulla, who benefitted from a spirited effort from the Celtics in the aftermath of Tatum’s Achilles exploding.&nbsp;

The Celtics didn’t have Jayson Tatum. The Knicks were missing Karl-Anthony Towns. {ai:summary}<p>The Celtics defeated the Knicks 127-102 in Game 5, despite missing star player Jayson Tatum. The Knicks' Karl-Anthony Towns struggled to make an impact, with the Celtics effectively using smaller players to defend him, showcasing their strategic advantage.</p><p>Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla capitalized on the situation, leading his team to a strong performance following Tatum's injury. #sports</p>

This needs to be the end of Karl-Anthony Towns’ Knicks disappearing act

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