Derrick White played the role of defibrillator Sunday at TD Garden, shocking the Celtics back to life after they nearly squandered a 27-point second-half lead.
After a 3-pointer from Knicks big man Karl-Anthony Towns cut Boston’s lead to four 28 seconds into the fourth quarter, White responded with back-to-back threes of his own, sparking a 13-2 Celtics run from which New York never recovered.
The veteran guard also assisted on Boston’s next two baskets — an inbounds lob to Kristaps Porzingis and a fast-break layup by Jaylen Brown — and added a steal later shortly thereafter as his team pulled away for a 118-105 win.
White’s final line: 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, plus nine rebounds and seven assists. It was one of the best all-around performances of the season from the 30-year-old, who’s returned to form after a prolonged slump consumed most of his January.
During a nine-game stretch from Jan. 5 to Jan. 23, White averaged just 10.0 points per game while shooting 32.6% from the floor and 26.9% from three. Navigating that trying stretch was difficult, he admitted, as his struggles robbed him of the “joy” he typically feels on the court.
But he overcame it. Over his last 11 appearances, White has scored 17.7 points per game, with a field-goal percentage near 50% and a 3-point clip above 42%. It’s no coincidence that the Celtics went 10-1 in those games with seven wins by double digits.
“I think as you become a better player, which he’s done since he’s gotten here and with the success that he’s had, the expectations rise,” head coach Joe Mazzulla said after Sunday’s win. “And when the expectations rise, it’s easy for the joy to be robbed. That’s just kind of the natural ebbs and flows of a career, and I think there are moments where you have to fight for that. So when he’s at his best, he plays carefree, he makes big shots like he did tonight, and he just defends at a super high level, but you have to go through those.
“I’m glad he went through it. It was important for his growth. It was important for us to see him struggle, because it shows how much we need him, and it was important for him to fight for that confidence, because he’s one of the best point guards in the league, and when he plays like that, we’re a different team.”
Porzingis called the soft-spoken White “a silent killer.” Jayson Tatum said he’s a vital piece of Boston’s lineup.
“I remember that stretch, and everybody felt for him,” Tatum said. “One, because he’s such a great person and obviously a great player and what he means to our team. You see firsthand how hard guys have worked and how badly you want things to go the right way. It’s just not always the case. Eighty-two games. You might go through a slump where you’re not shooting the ball well and things aren’t clicking the way you’d like or hope. But it’s part of being a great player. It’s part of being a professional. Being consistent with the work that you put in and trusting and believing that it’s going to turn around.
“It’s not always perfect. You wish it was. But that’s our job as teammates is to keep him encouraged, keep his confidence high, because we need him. I remind him every day — not that he doesn’t (know). He knows how important he is to our team. Me and D-White super close, and I tell him every day to be aggressive with all the communication during the game, talking through things. Obviously, we wouldn’t be where we are without D-White. So him finding the joy is important to our success.”
The Celtics also got a solid offensive performance from Jrue Holiday, who scored 14 points (6-for-9; 2-for-4 from three) against the Knicks to go along with his trademark defensive contributions (three steals, one block). Boston is 24-3 this season when Holiday scores at least nine points and 22-4 when he hits multiple 3-pointers.
Getting double-digit points from White and Holiday offset a quiet outing from the typically potent Payton Pritchard, who had just three points on 1-of-5 shooting in the win.
Brown eager for playoff showdowns
When the Knicks re-signed OG Anunoby and traded five first-round picks for Mikal Bridges this offseason, their intention was clear: build a roster with the type of wing defenders who can match up against Tatum and Brown. So far, it hasn’t worked. New York is 0-3 against Boston — all three losses blowouts — and Tatum is scoring 34.0 points per game against the Knicks.
Cleveland seemed to have a similar goal in mind when they acquired De’Andre Hunter — another stingy wing — from Atlanta ahead of the NBA trade deadline. The Celtics went 2-1 against the East-leading Cavaliers before Hunter’s arrival and will host them again this Friday.
Brown was asked whether seeing those types of moves — Boston’s chief rivals gearing up to stop him and his Celtics co-star — motivated him. His response: “Absolutely.”
“I don’t think I need to explain why, but it does. We’ll be ready,” said Brown, who scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter Sunday to help snuff out New York’s comeback bid. “The playoffs, we just want to be healthy. The Cavs and Knicks, they’re good teams, so anything can happen. We’ve got to focus on the details. But I’m looking forward to it.”
If the NBA season ended Monday, the Cavs would be the No. 1 seed in the East, with the Celtics second, Knicks third and Indiana Pacers fourth, setting up a potential Boston-New York matchup in the conference semifinals. The Celtics and Knicks have not met in the postseason since 2013.
“It’s just the responsibility you have when you win the championship,” Tatum said. “When the Warriors were going on their run, teams were building their team to compete with them. When Denver won the championship, Minnesota built that team to kind of beat Denver. So there’s a responsibility that comes with when you’re the champs and you’re the standard, guys or teams try to build their team to compete with that style of play or whatever it may be.
“But the most important challenge that we have is we just focus on us. It’s no guarantee who we’re going to play in the playoffs, but we’ll be up for the challenge, whoever we play. But our biggest motivation is just with ourselves and being the best version of us and just trying to get a little bit better every day.”
