Joe Mazzulla Praises ‘Big Time’ Performance From Derrick White

Derrick White gets better in each season with the Boston Celtics and continues to find ways to step up and support his teammates.

Wednesday night offered another chance for White to produce when the Celtics needed him most. Boston entered another matchup with the then-No. 1-seeded Philadelphia 76ers without Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis. The game bounced back and forth on major momentum swings. Entering the fourth quarter, White had a solid night with 13 points, though Boston really needed a boost to pull out the shorthanded.

As he has shown he can do, White delivered. The Boston guard poured in 14 points in the fourth quarter and hit big shots late to help the Celtics pull away in a 117-107 victory at Wells Fargo Center.

White finished the night with 27 points, three rebounds and five assists to drive the Celtics forward. The 29-year-old stayed efficient from the floor, shooting 7-of-12 overall, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. His head coach knew that White became capable of a late-game impact.

“He knows that,” Joe Mazzulla told reporters after the win, per NBC Sports Boston’s postgame coverage. “I thought because of the matchups and the lineup that we had, his pick-and-roll efficiency is sky-high. When we can get him into those pick-and-rolls to his right hand, it’s a good effective play for us. He’s just one of those guys who always shows up and makes the right play. I thought he made some big-time plays.”

On a night when Boston needed contributions from the entire rotation, White delivered as a capable option who continues to grow into a core impact player with the Celtics.

“He had the ball in his hands,” Mazzulla explained. “I felt like if we could run a good set, we can calm it down with execution. He did it.”

White looks to help the Celtics win two straight games to start a four-game road trip when Boston heads to Toronto for an In-Season Tournament battle with the Raptors.