The Boston Celtics entered the fourth quarter of their 120-108 Game 1 victory over the Golden State Warriors down by 12 points, with their superstar Jayson Tatum struggling to put the ball in the basket. That’s when Derrick White stepped in.
The Celtics outscored Golden State 40-16 in the fourth quarter, shooting 9-for-12 from 3-point range, with Derrick White being the man to get that run started, according to Celtics head coach Ime Udoka.
“(He did) a little bit of everything. Five out of eight for three, but play making, shot making and defense,” Udoka said in his postgame press conference. “We talk about, we don’t have much drop off when Marcus goes out and he comes in. The size and versatility on the defensive end. Playmaking ability to get guys involved and be aggressive on offense was huge tonight.”
“Instantly, off the bat, loved the way he played,” Marcus Smart said when asked about his first impression of White. “You know, coming into when we would practice, he was never backing down no matter what, so you know when you’ve got a gut like me, and a guy like Derrick, it’s always going to be some battles, but there’s nothing but respect there.”
The Celtics made sure to praise White’s contributions to the team off the court, with Al Horford making sure to comment on how he felt about Derrick White the person.
“You know, we love Derrick,” Horford said. “What he’s brought to our group, just his energy, his commitment to working hard, he continues to work no matter how it’s going for him individually.
“He continues to prepare, and we have a lot of confidence in him… We have the most confidence in him, he was huge for us.”
The Celtics will look to ride their positive momentum to another victory in Game 2, which tips off from Chase Center at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday.
