Derrick White Praises Celtics' Mindset in Bounce Back Win vs. Kings

The Boston Celtics bounced back from their first loss against the Golden State Warriors and defeated the Sacramento Kings 144-119. The C's shot 22-42 from three after missing a franchise-record against the Warriors, led by Derrick White's six. White has made six or more triples in two of his last three contests.

Following the victory, White talked with NBC Sports Boston's Abby Chin.

"We were just playing the right way, getting good looks and knocking them down," White said. "Playing up and down, they play fast, and we want to play fast too, so. It was a fun game."

The conversation about White being the NBA's most underrated player has quickly shifted to All-Star conversation with his two-way high-level play as of late for Boston. The way the guard has evolved over the last year or so in green has become one of the franchise's most prominent stories.

"I'm just trying to win games," White said when asked if he was focused on the potential All-Star nod. "That's all I'm focusing on right now. "Just got to keep winning and see what happens."

Kristaps Porzingis made his presence felt in a major way in his return with a monster game: 24 points, nine rebounds, and six rejections to go along with three triples.

"I mean, he's unreal," White said of Porzingis. "Matchup nightmare, protecting the paint for us. He does a little bit of everything for us, so. It's always nice having him out there."

White knew the significance behind the win, with the Celtics letting Tuesday against Golden State slip. Missing two of their top six in Jayson Tatum due to his ankle sprain and Al Horford's rest, it would not be an easy task against the offensive firepower of Sacramento.

Boston wanted to keep up their momentum. Last year, during their west coast trip around this time, the Celtics began to not look like themselves.

"Second night of a back-to-back, two guys out, people probably make excuses of why we don't need a win, but we had the right mindset coming into the game and came out with the right way and got a good road win."

Derrick White joins @tvabby for a 1-on-1 interview after his red-hot shooting night, and they talk about the Celtics' dominant team performance pic.twitter.com/qRnRpzmwRP
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 21, 2023