Celtics’ Derrick White Makes Good On Message To Dad In Win Over Jazz

Celtics guard Derrick White was in a rut from behind the arc on Boston’s road trip.

White had just hit 1-of-14 3-pointers in the last four games heading into Tuesday night’s matchup with the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center.

But the cold streak from long range didn’t last as White broke out of his shooting slump in a 123-107 win over the Jazz to push Boston’s NBA-best record to 51-14. White knocked down 7-of-11 treys to finish with 24 points. He also chipped in with six rebounds, three assists and three blocks.

White’s strong shooting night seemed partly propelled by his father, who helped put him in the right head space to launch from deep despite his recent struggles.

“He text me all the time. He said something about last game about the threes looking better, and I said, ‘I’m just going to let it fly,'” White told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “So, that’s just what my mindset was, just let it fly, don’t think about it. I was able to knock some down.”

White said he wasn’t feeling added pressure coming into the contest against the Jazz with his shots from 3-point range not falling.

“Not really. Obviously, you know because you’re not really making shots,” White said. “But felt like I was playing fine regardless. But it would be nice to make some shots, so just let it fly.”

White certainly got back to his usual form in the win. He’s shooting a career-best 40.2% from beyond the arc, which is third-best on the Celtics behind Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser.

White will look to keep dropping in the threes Thursday when the Celtics return to TD Garden to take on the Phoenix Suns. Tipoff is for 7:30 p.m. ET.