Who are the Boston Celtics in the wake of Jayson Tatum’s injury?

The GIST: Believe it or not, it’s nearly time for the conference finals with two tickets already punched by the Indiana Pacers and Minnesota Timberwolves. That said, there are still some lingering questions keeping us up at night. Forget counting sheep — let’s dig in.

👀 Who are the Boston Celtics without Jayson Tatum? Coming back from a 3-1 series deficit is hard enough, but doing it without your best player? Unimaginable. That’s why Boston’s 127–102 Wednesday win over the NY Knicks was so astonishing.

• Tatum’s injury impacts Boston right now, seriously dampening the defending champs’ chances of becoming the first team to win back-to-back titles since 2018, but the long-term picture is equally concerning for the C’s.

• Achilles ruptures are a notoriously difficult injury, with a recovery timeline of eight to 12 months. By then, fellow starters Al Horford and Jrue Holiday will be 39 and 35 respectively. Tatum’s injury will likely force the team to reimagine their future, years earlier than expected.

• But for now, it’s all about the present, namely tonight’s 8 p.m. ET Game 6 in the Big Apple. Down 3-2, Boston will try to extend their battle with the Knicks to a series-deciding Game 7 on Monday, but it’ll take a full team effort. Everybody has to eat.

🏆 Take your pick: Denver’s Nikola Jokić or OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? The MVP race may be a regular-season award, but the NBA script writers couldn’t have drafted a better screenplay as the Denver Nuggets protected home court last night, earning a hardfought 119–107 Game 6 win over the Thunder. Naturally, Jokić and SGA both balled out, tallying 29 and 32 points, respectively.

• Now, the back-and-forth battle will come down to the best two words in sports: a series-deciding 3:30 p.m. ET Game 7 on Sunday. Just what the doctor ordered (as well as a hefty dose of electrolytes for Nugget Jamal Murray).