Boston Celtics: 1 stud and 1 dud from C’s crushing Game 6 loss to Miami

Boston Celtics stud: Derrick White

Since getting off to a rather slow start to his first playoff run as a member of the Boston Celtics, posting just 5.3 points and two assists on 34.8 percent shooting from the floor and less than 10 percent shooting from deep through the C’s first-round series against the Brooklyn Nets, Derrick White has seemingly turned a corner with his overall level of production, and Friday night proved to be arguably his best outing as a member of the franchise.

In just under 36 minutes played, the point guard was an absolute problem on both ends of the floor for the likes of Miami, as he was dropping points around the rim and from beyond the arc on offense just as easily as he was sticking with his assignments and providing tremendous off-ball help when on defense.

Registering the highest plus-minus rating for the Celtics on the night (+5), White went on to stuff the stat sheet with an impressive logline of 22 points, five assists, three boards, three steals, and a block on a highly efficient 50 percent shooting from the floor and 57 percent shooting from deep.

Granted, it took the veteran a bit of time to get into the swing of things in this contest (finished the first half with just four points on a putrid 25 percent shooting from the floor), but, once he found his rhythm, he was perhaps the team’s most reliable commodity, especially during the crunch time fourth period where he put up 11 points (including a clutch triple that put them up by three with under five remaining and should have given them the momentum they needed…but I digress) on 60 percent shooting from deep.

Unfortunately, his mighty performance came in what ended up being a losing effort but, if he can show out like this in Game 7, it could be a major boost for Boston in their attempts to advance.