No reason was given for why Fortes was removed from the lineup. He’ll take a seat with Liam Hicks now catching Cal Quantrill and hitting ninth.

Kristaps Porzingis got the starting nod in place of Jayson Tatum (Achilles), but Kornet replaced him to start the second half. Porzingis didn’t end up seeing the floor after the break, while Kornet played a significant role in helping Boston take over the game. Porzingis has struggled mightily during this series, and there were reports that he is having stamina issues. He only had one points, one rebound and one block in 12 minutes on Wednesday. It’s unclear if Kornet will start in Game 6 on Friday, but he has clearly at least earned more playing time.

In the wake of Jayson Tatum’s Achilles tear, Boston needed someone to step up on the offensive end. White filled the void with his highest-scoring performance of the postseason and his most points in a game since early March. White struggled in the first two games of this series but has made at least 50 percent of his shots in each of his last three games. He has been able to fill whatever role the Celtics have needed him to fill since he was traded to Boston, and he should continue to be a primary scoring option for them as they head to New York for Game 6.

Kirk catapulted Toronto ahead for good with a no-doubter to right-center field against Rays starter Ryan Pepiot in the sixth inning. It was his third big fly of the season. The 26-year-old backstop made an immediate impact in his return to the lineup following a one-game absence after being hit in the head by a backswing over the weekend.