Derrick White provided the Celtics with a much-needed helping hand during Friday night’s victory over the Knicks, fresh off Boston’s NBA In-Season Tournament elimination.
Navigating through a mediocre defensive effort plus losing star Jaylen Brown after a fourth-quarter ejection, the Celtics didn’t make it easy on themselves. New York matched Boston offensively, shooting 50% from the field and 40.5% from 3-point range, flirting with a new season-high in points (123).
Yet, White stepped up for Boston and was showered by a flood of “MVP” chants from the TD Garden crowd after finishing with a game-leading — and season-high — 30 points in the 133-123 win.
“It’s crazy. We got the best fans in the league so I’m always thankful and grateful. Grateful for them,” White told reporters postgame, per CLNS Media video. “I know I’m not the MVP, but it’s always cool to hear.”
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Boston was in a rough spot throughout the night, on the edge of losing its second straight. And to make matters worse, the Celtics had actually cleaned up on its two premier deficiencies that dragged them to elimination in the tournament’s quarterfinal round: Turnovers and third-quarter scoring.
By night’s end, Boston committed just seven turnovers to New York’s 13 and also outscored the Knicks, 35-30 in the third quarter. That marked the highest third-quarter scoring output from the Celtics this season, taking the floor as the NBA’s worst team in terms of getting points on the board in the second-to-final frame.
“D. White was great tonight,” Brown mentioned postgame, per CLNS. “
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It wasn’t the first, and likely won’t be the last time White receives the MVP-chant treatment from Celtics fans this season.
Featured image via Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports Images
