Derrick White Defends Celtics Star After Frustrating Loss To Pistons

The Boston Celtics suffered their second straight loss on Monday, falling to the Detroit Pistons 112-105 at home. The Celtics led for much of the game but were unable to close out the Pistons in the fourth quarter, falling to 7-8 in clutch games this year.

Jaylen Brown blamed himself for the loss after missing several free throws in the fourth quarter, finishing just 7-for-14 from the line. It was a disappointing ending to another monster game from Brown, who paced Boston with 34 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and three blocks.

“We’ve got to be better. I’ve got to be better. I wasn’t good enough for my team tonight. So, that’s on me,” Brown said during his postgame press conference.

Derrick White, who poured in 31 points in one of his best games of the season, was quick to defend Brown during his postgame interview.

“I think that’s kind of what makes him special. 30-something [points] and he still wants to do better for us,” White said. “That’s what makes him special. He’s probably his toughest critic, and we know that he’s going to bounce back and continue to do special things for us. Obviously, this loss isn’t on him. It’s on all of us, and we got his back. That’s just kind of the guy he is and why we love playing with him.”

Brown wasn’t perfect on Monday, but he played well enough to win. Unfortunately, he and White didn’t get much offensive help from their teammates, who combined for just 40 points on 15-of-39 shooting, including 4-for-22 from downtown.

The Celtics will try to bounce back at home on Friday against the slumping Miami Heat, who have struggled mightily in December. Boston’s had issues after multiple days off this season, however, so hopefully the layoff doesn’t negatively affect them again.