I’m running out of words to describe Derrick White and his importance to the Boston Celtics.
He’s the type of player every successful team has, but they’re rare to find. He can guard their best player, he can play on the ball or off-ball. He can run an offense, or he can be put in the corner and space the floor. Derrick White does everything for Boston and against the Knicks, when Boston needed him, he didn’t shy away from the moment.
The Celtics had a 21-point lead at halftime before the Knicks stormed back in the third quarter, outscoring Boston by 14 (39-25) to cut it down to seven to start the fourth.
ESPN’s Katie George asked White what went into New York’s run. “We kind of let some outside stuff affect us and they made shots. We just [have] to get back to playing how we play. We’re up seven — we’re in a good spot,” White said.
When the buzzer sounded to start the fourth quarter, Derrick White brought the spark back to Boston’s offense and revitalized the crowd.
White made back-to-back threes to open the fourth to give Boston a 95-87 lead. Although the Celtics only extended their lead by one with the two threes, it gave Boston’s offense a jolt since they struggled shooting from three in the third quarter.
White went 3-for-3 in the fourth quarter with nine points to seal the win for the C’s. Not only did White make an impact offensively, but on defense he continued to show why he’s one of the better two-way players in the league. Whether it was following Bridges around the perimeter or guarding Jalen Brunson, White was always in the right place at the right time.
In years past, if there was a 4-1 transition break, it was Marcus Smart I would have bet money would come up with a stop. Now, White has filled that void and he’s the guy I expect to make a stop or come up with a big basket even if the odds are against him.
“Derrick saved us on a couple of possessions,” Joe Mazzulla told NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin postgame.
He also told CelticsBlog’s Noa Dalzell that White is “one of the best point guards in the league, and when he plays like that, we’re a different team.”
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are the team’s superstars, but White is an important pillar that allows Tatum and Brown to be themselves.
Without White, the Knicks might have kept the game close until the end of the game, but because of what White does on both ends of the floor, the Celtics were able to close out the game comfortably.
