PHILADELPHIA — With the Celtics in a close game against the 76ers, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla drew up a play to get Derrick White going in the fourth quarter. The message was clear, White said: “Stay aggressive.” Mazzulla echoed that sentiment postgame; he wanted his point guard to take over the game if the opportunity presented itself.
That’s exactly what White did in the fourth quarter of the Celtics’ 117-107 win over the 76ers on Wednesday. He poured in 14 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter alone, knocking down 3-pointers while dishing three assists. He had one stretch — where the C’s led by just one point — where he made a 3, a floater then set up Luke Kornet for free throws by drawing in the defense.
White represents a luxury for the Celtics in some ways. Boston’s starting lineup has four former All-Stars in Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday. Their sixth man in Al Horford is also a five-time All-Star. Yet, White can take over games by himself like he did Wednesday, when he’s confident and aggressive. While he hasn’t made an All-Star team in his career, he’s been arguably the Celtics’ third-most important player during his time in Boston.
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“I was able to get to my spots and make the right play,” White said. “So I wouldn’t say my mindset changes that much. I just try to be aggressive like I always say and make the right play.”
Winning basketball isn’t anything new for White as his value doesn’t come from just scoring. He was named to the All-Defensive Second Team last season as he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. Coupled with Holiday, the Celtics have arguably the best defensive backcourt in the league.
“He’s one of those guys that always shows up to make the right play, and I thought he made some big-time plays,” Mazzulla said. “I think it was 89-88 and I thought about calling a timeout, but he had the ball in his hands and I felt like if we could run a good set we could kind of calm it down with execution and he did that.”
White has had no issues folding into the team’s new dynamics with Holiday and Porzingis on the team. There are games where he won’t make much of an offensive impact, but that’s the same for his talented teammates. But White is one of the elite gap-fillers in the league, allowing the Celtics to be confident in their guard.
“That’s the luxury that we have on our team,” Tatum said. “We have so many talented guys. I said it all the time, I tell D-White to be aggressive. When he’s being aggressive and assertive that’s just great for our team. And it shows. In those moments, he can take over for a stretch of a game where he gives us that lift. And he’s always going to make the right play. So he was big tonight.”
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