'Story of the Game': Spurs Ex Derrick White Praised by Celtics in East Finals
The Boston Celtics are one win away from the franchise's 22nd appearance in the NBA Finals after Wednesday's 93-80 victory in Game 5 on the road against the Miami Heat saw the C's outscore the East's No. 1 seed 56-38 in the second half.
Former San Antonio Spurs assistant and player Ime Udoka has been the Celtics' cool and collected leader on the sidelines as the team now holds a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. But just like in Boston's Game 4 win on Monday, the mid-season acquisition of former Spurs guard Derrick White continues to pay significant dividends.
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It's something that White's backcourt partner, Jaylen Brown, touched on with much enthusiasm following Wednesday's victory.
"Derrick the last two games has been fantastic," Brown said. "His contributions to our team has been great. He might not get all the credit, but the way he started Game 4, we came out and were able to jump on them early. And how he came out today again was huge. He's been essential within the key plan with that same type of aggression. He was just fantastic tonight. Poised, under control, made timely baskets. (White and Al Horford) were definitely the story of the game tonight."
White, who is coming off a Game 4 performance that saw him play a game-high 41 minutes while adding 13 points, eight rebounds, six assists, three steals, and one block, continued his stellar all-around play in Game 5.
He started in place of injured Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart, on Monday, but returned to his role off the bench Wednesday and didn't miss a beat. The 27-year-old played 29 minutes to go along with 14 points on an efficient 6-8 shooting. White also added five assists, two steals, and one block, as his natural defensive and floor instincts continue to shine on the biggest stage he's been on in his six-year career.
As one of Boston's best defensive players, White was tasked with guarding Miami stars Jimmy Butler and Kyle Lowry on numerous occasions in the win. It was a complete team effort on defense, but White deserves a load of credit for Lowry and Butler combining for an abysmal 4-24 shooting from the field.
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In the Game 4 win in Boston, White scored the game's first seven points as the Celtics jumped out to a 29-11 lead by the end of the first quarter. Udoka heaped praises on his former Spurs player Monday, which has clearly seeped over to the rest of the team as well given Brown's comments.
"Understanding the urgency with Marcus (Smart) being out and the position he's put in," Udoka said after Game 4. "Obviously starting the game, gonna have the ball in his hands a lot more. Want him to be confident, aggressive, and he picked his spots well early on. We want him to be aggressive at all times. His jumpshot may not be falling, but he does so many other things for the team."
Udoka also mentioned Gregg Popovich's approach to coaching White. Safe to say the former Spurs assistant and player is comfortable with a different strategy now that he's in charge.
"Even when he's not hitting shots, he checks so many boxes," Udoka said. "Pop was on him about not fouling, but I want him to be even more aggressive here. I couldn't be happier with him."
The Celtics are the last team to expect a Finals berth for themselves despite being up 3-2 with Game 6 in Boston on Friday. But if the rest of the league hasn't figured out the kind of player White is, they could soon under the bright lights of the NBA Finals.
