Madison Square Garden’s getting loud. You can feel it coming. Knicks fans? They’ve been through the wringer. And now, it’s all hanging on Game 6. One win away from the franchise’s first Eastern Conference Finals since Y2K. But here’s the kicker: some key names are banged up. Some real uncertainty heading into Friday night.

And yeah, the tension’s thicker than Boston chowder right now. Game 5? It wasn’t just basketball; it was a war. Blood. Bruises. Bruised egos too. Josh Hart bleeding early, Jalen Brunson throwing shade (and maybe more) below the belt. Then Jaylen Brown retaliating with a not-so-subtle jab of his own. Toss in a third-quarter Celtics eruption, and this series just got a whole lot more personal.

So now the question is, who’s suiting up tonight? And who’s limping into MSG on a prayer?

Well, here’s what we know straight from ESPN on May 16: Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart are playing tonight. No injury designation. No red flags. Knicks fans can breathe. Brunson’s fine. Hart’s fine. And that’s huge, because after Game 5’s madness, it honestly didn’t look like a lock.

Hart took a nasty elbow from Luke Kornet early in the first. Split his eyebrow wide open, blood soaking his jersey. Most players would’ve hit the tunnel. Hart? Nah. He stood there, banged in both free throws, switched jerseys, and kept it pushing. Meanwhile, Brunson avoided the injury list, but he wasn’t moving like himself either.

As for the official injury sheet, Precious Achiuwa is questionable with a sprained right ankle. Day-to-day. Played just 11 minutes before getting pulled in Game 5. And of course, Julius Randle’s still out, which means the frontcourt is thin. But the two names that matter most? They’re good to go.

And that’s no small thing. You don’t just replace guys like Hart and Brunson. These aren’t filler pieces. Hart’s been the grit all year! 13.6 points, 9.6 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and he’s a guard. He guards four positions, crashes the glass like a big, and gives you every ounce he’s got. He’s the kind of guy who dives into the fire and drags the team with him.

Brunson? Straight-up killer. 26 points and 7.3 assists per game, both top-10 in the league. Nearly 49% from the field. He is the Knicks’ offense. The Celtics are blitzing him every time he touches the ball, trying to wear him down. And yeah, it’s worked at times. But him just being out there? That’s the Knicks’ lifeline.

So here we go. Game 6. At MSG. With the crowd ready to erupt and the Knicks sitting on a chance to close it out. They’ve got their guys. Hart’s patched up. Brunson’s still standing. And now? It’s go time. No excuses. No “we weren’t at full strength.”

Just pure grind, pressure, and a shot at the Eastern Conference Finals on the line.

Foul trouble dooms Brunson as Knicks get rocked in Boston

Let’s call it what it was: Game 5 was a collapse. Not just the scoreboard. Not just the energy. The third quarter killed them, and Jalen Brunson getting five fouls in twelve minutes? That was the dagger.

He started slow. Quiet first quarter. Knicks still hung in. Then Brunson turned it up in the second; he hit 4 of 6, got the offense humming. Felt like a turning point. But after halftime? Chaos.

Boston went on a rampage. Outscored New York 32-17 in the third. But the stat that’ll haunt Knicks fans? Five personal fouls on Brunson. In one quarter. That’s not just bad luck; it’s a meltdown. And he wasn’t the only one dancing with disaster. Karl-Anthony Towns picked up his fourth by the end of the third too. Knicks were stuck between panic and paralysis.

By the fourth? The effort just wasn’t there. Celtics built a 28-point lead; their biggest of the series. Brunson, sitting on five fouls, picked up number six. Done. Ejected. Crowd roaring. Knicks stunned.

No other way to spin it. The Knicks let a golden chance slip through their fingers. Could’ve wrapped it in 5. Could’ve saved legs and earned rest. But instead, they’re dragging this thing back to MSG for Game 6; battered, bruised, and now under pressure.

One last shot. One more night. And maybe, just maybe, their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.