The Celtics finished off their road trip in impression fashion on Christmas, coasting to an easy win over the Lakers for their third straight double-digit win. Amid a balanced scoring effort from Boston’s starting five (107 combined points), the star of the show once again was perhaps the most unheralded player within the group: Derrick White.
Boston’s starting point guard delivered a double-double with 18 points and 11 assists while chipping in with a pair of blocks and steals against a Lakers team that struggled to slow the Celtics’ uptempo offense. While Boston struggled from beyond the arc, (31 percent from 3), leading to a blown 18-point lead in the first half, White steadied the visitors’ offense with efficient scoring (8-of-13 FG) and playmaking that led to another runaway victory for the Celtics.
Boston coach Joe Mazzulla credited White after the win for being his go-to option within Boston’s offense when things went awry.
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“You know, he’s a guy where if we’re settling down, we go to D White pick and rolls,” Mazzulla said. “I really enjoy me, him, and Jrue, kind of the point guard communication throughout the game as far as what our defensive coverages are, what sets we want to run, who we want to get involved and he’s done a really good job of just organizing the offense by coverage and by match up and who needs the ball.
“And it’s really fun for him to watch. But his pick and roll efficiency is through the roof and his ability to see the game is really good. So that’s good for our team.”
White showing that kind of consistency is no surprise to the majority of his Celtics teammates who have played the last two seasons with him. However, Kristaps Porzingis reflected after Monday’s win about just the kind of impact White has made while playing just 20-plus games alongside him.
“I didn’t realize how good D White was,” Porzingis said “He’s kind of under the radar a little bit but man he’s special. The way he plays, how 90+ percent of the time he makes the right play all the time. That’s the perfect teammate you want. On top of that he’s shooting great percentages and being super efficient. He’s special, man, and I’m happy I have both of those guys on my team, Jrue and D. White.”
As White continues to exceed expectations, the Celtics’ outlook for this season only brightens. They have the best record in the NBA through 29 games at 23-6 despite playing the toughest schedule in the league. They also have a top-5 offense and defense, largely because of White’s contributions on both ends of the floor where he leads this group in 3-point shooting percentage, free throw shooting percentage, assists and steals.
While his scoring numbers don’t jump off the page, Porzingis is hopeful that White will get the All-Star recognition he deserves as a key contributor for the NBA’s top team.
“He has been improving and he has been playing incredible this whole season, but especially this last stretch,” Porzingis said. “And I think maybe it doesn’t stand out, because the stats are not incredible. They’re gonna but they’re not incredible. But when you watch the game, people who understand really appreciate what he’s doing on the court.”
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