Kristaps Porzingis Makes Admission After Celtics’ Win Over Lakers

Derrick White is turning heads this season, including those of his own Celtics teammates.

White was excellent in Boston’s Christmas Day win over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. The seventh-year pro chipped in 18 points to go along with a game-high 11 assists and a plus-16 rating to help the Celtics end their West Coast road trip on a high note.

One of those assists was on a 3-point shot by Kristaps Porzingis, who logged a team-high 28 points. After Boston’s 126-115 triumph, Porzingis saluted White but acknowledged he wasn’t totally familiar with his teammate’s game before hitting the hardwood with the reliable guard.

“I didn’t realize how good D-White was,” Porzingis told reporters, per a video shared by NBC Sports Boston. “He’s kind of under the radar a little bit. But, man, he’s special. The way he plays — I don’t know, 90-plus percent of the time he always makes the right play. That’s the perfect teammate you want. On top of that, he’s shooting great percentages and being super efficient. Yeah, he’s special, man.”

This might prove to be the last season White flies under the radar. The 29-year-old is building a solid case for his first career All-Star selection and is on the right track for All-Defensive First Team consideration as well.