Clutch D-White: Celtics star saves his best ball for final frame
Clutch D-White: Celtics star saves his best ball for final frame originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It’s kind of wild to think that, just 18 months ago, Derrick White wasn’t a fourth-quarter staple for the Boston Celtics.
There was a rather maddening game in Utah in March 2023 where the Celtics fumbled away a 19-point lead and White wasn’t one of the seven Boston players who touched the floor in the fourth quarter that night. Mind you, Mike Muscala and Luke Kornet combined for 15 minutes of fourth-quarter playing time in that game.
In fairness, the Celtics were getting shredded on the glass and size was a priority. But if only we knew then what it so obvious now: White is a late-game savant, a calming presence whenever the basketball waters get a little choppy.
The 30-year-old guard proved it again on Sunday afternoon, not only scoring 10 fourth-quarter points on 4-of-5 shooting as the Celtics stiff-armed the Minnesota Timberwolves’ late charge, but also chasing down an errant lead pass and calmly setting up Jaylen Brown’s game-winning 3-pointer with little more than a minute to play.
The Celtics have been spoiled by guards who thrive in the final frame over the past decade. Isaiah Thomas was the King In the Fourth. Marcus Smart was the prince of winning plays. Heck, even Kyrie Irving was a star in the fourth quarter before his Brooklyn-bound grumpiness blurred his on-court impact.
White isn’t always going to overwhelm you with scoring output, but his efficiency is off the charts. This season, he’s shooting 53.7 percent from the floor overall in the fourth quarter, including 50 percent on 3-point attempts. It is easily his most efficient quarter:
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This isn’t exactly a new trend. During last season’s title run, White also saved his most…
