“I’ll let you know one factor, man, for those who don’t know who D-White is, you already know who he’s now,” mentioned Marcus Good.
With their backs in opposition to the wall on Saturday night time, the Boston Celtics crumbled. They slowly choked away a double-digit lead during the last 4:56 of the sport. And with three seconds left on the clock, they discovered themselves down one to the Miami Warmth.
That’s when Derrick White got here to the rescue.
Boston inbounded the ball, Good threw up a heave, and after the ball bounced off the rim and out, White was there for the put-back layup, sealing a Celtics victory.
“All of it occurred so quick,” mentioned Jaylen Brown. “I couldn’t actually inform. Good shot it and I believed it was good. After which Derrick White, like a flash of lightning, simply got here out of nowhere and saved the day, man. It was simply an unimaginable play.”
The Celtics have struggled in shut video games all 12 months, and on this one, it by no means ought to have come right down to that. They have been in management the entire night time, however as has develop into a typical theme, they fell aside within the last jiffy.
However it didn’t matter. White made positive it didn’t matter.
“It don’t do no good to face within the nook there, whether or not he makes it or not,” White mentioned. “So, I used to be simply crashing the glass, and it got here proper to me.”
Boston was 0.2 seconds away from reserving flights to Cancun and starting their offseason routine.
Now, they’re one win away from historical past.
“I’m nonetheless in disbelief. That s*** was loopy,” mentioned Jayson Tatum. “However I’m glad we received one other likelihood, one other alternative. It’s removed from over. Nonetheless an uphill battle. However it feels good to provide your self one other likelihood. One other alternative.”
White has made it his mission to raise his recreation within the postseason. He earned MVP chants from TD Backyard in opposition to the Atlanta Hawks, he’s shot 47.5% from three all through the playoffs, and in Recreation 5 in opposition to Miami, he co-led the Celtics’ offense with Good.
At each flip, the 28-year-old from Parker, Colorado, has made his mark. But his humble demeanor refuses to let him get too excessive.
“We’re simply completely satisfied we gained,” White mentioned. “Nonetheless we received to get it finished, we received it finished. And now it’s on to Recreation 7.”
White’s title can be plastered throughout the web till the beginning of Recreation 7 due to his unimaginable tip-in, however the journey that received him there ought to be the larger story.
He was lower from his eighth-grade basketball workforce and had only one collegiate supply popping out of highschool (from a DII program), but he saved pushing by way of each impediment that got here his method.
And regardless of all of his success, he’s nonetheless the identical, Oreo-loving, family-first man he’s at all times been.
“It’s going to be just a little loopy,” White mentioned of the response to his game-winner. “My cellphone’s already blowing up. However [I’ll] get residence tomorrow [and] play with Hendrix. I’m positive he gained’t take a look at me any in a different way. So, that’ll be cool.”
When Boston was down 3-0, rumors swirled of their downfall. Experiences indicating their disdain for each other dominated headlines. However they powered by way of.
And simply when it seemed like all of their perseverance could be for not, White was there, simply as he has been all season.
“That dude has been phenomenal for us this complete, complete 12 months,” mentioned Good. “Simply enjoying the way in which that we knew he may play after we picked him up. And it’s been refreshing for us. It’s been a pleasure to observe and a pleasure to be on the courtroom with him.”
