It's not recency bias to say the Boston Celtics just earned their best win of the season. Their 117-114 victory vs. the Detroit Pistons was an ideal way to head into Thanksgiving.
Before carving up the turkey, Derrick White dined on Detroit's defense. He buried seven of the 13 shots he hoisted, including 6/11 attempts from behind the arc.
The ninth-year guard entered halftime having registered only three points. He had taken just three shots. However, after intermission, White went supernova.
The former Colorado Buffalo erupted for 25 points, needing only one half to match his previous season high. He knocked down a scorching six of eight three-point attempts and seven of 10 field goals. Beyond blistering long-range shooting, he generated five free-throw attempts, capitalizing on each of them.
While it would be easy to fixate on White setting a new season high, putting 27 points on the board, and his marksmanship, with ESPN's play-by-play announcer, Mark Jones, labeling him "hotter than fish grease," there was another moment in the game that defines him.
Derrick White's emblematic hustle play
When the two-time All-Defensive team selection makes a mistake that ends an offensive possession, or is simply within striking distance as the other team starts bringing the ball up the floor from a bit in front of him, it would be appropriate to cue up the theme music from the movie "Jaws."
White, moving in hot pursuit, is remarkably reliable at catching up to force a turnover, often back-tapping the ball free. He did it again against the Pistons on Wednesday.
The explosive Jaden Ivey began his burst from a little ahead of White in the backcourt. As he crossed the three-point line at the Celtics' end of the floor, he lost the rock. Just as Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver Randy Moss's ability to elevate over a defender and high point the football birthed the phrase, "You got Moss'd," Ivey had just been "Derrick White'd."
While not as catchy a phrase, the act was good enough to fire up the TD Garden faithful. He back-tapped the ball, retrieved the rock, then took off past Ivey in the other direction. Shortly after crossing half court, White lofted a lob to Josh Minott for an alley-oop that sent the crowd into a frenzy.
It was a moment that captured the hustle and determination it took for him to go from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, known as a culinary institute, to arguably the best role player in the NBA.
"I think just plays like that [are] just kind of who I am," voiced White after Boston snapped Detroit's 13-game winning streak, one shy of setting a new franchise record. "Who I've always been. It has nothing to do with making shots, it's just all hustle."