Derrick White just saved Celtics (and latest development could save season)

Derrick White has thawed from an icy shooting slump. In his first 15 games this season, he averaged 15.3 points and shot a frigid 34.8 percent from the field. He was even worse from beyond the arc. The eight-year veteran converted on fewer than 30 percent of his long-range attempts. However, it was only a matter of time before water found its level.

In his last seven contests, White has caught fire. He is generating 22.4 points per tilt. He's shooting 49.1 percent from the field and burying 41.7 percent of his three-point tries. He has knocked down at least five triples in three straight games.

The Boston Celtics needed that sharpshooting in Sunday's win north of the border.

At halftime, the visitors led 77-59. That represents their highest-scoring first half in over a calendar year. However, when the final frame arrived, the Toronto Raptors had pulled within six.

Suddenly finding itself in a tightly-contested affair, Boston found itself getting another crunch-time rep. The criteria for that is a game within five in the final five minutes.

That's when White was at his best.

Derrick White delivers in crunch time

In the last five minutes, with the Raptors within three, the Celtics' guard, arguably the best role player in the NBA, once again met the moment.

White put five points on the board, leading all participants in scoring. He shot 50 percent from the field during that stretch. That includes burying a pull-up three from 32 feet. It was a shot that gave Boston some needed breathing room. When it tickled the twine, the visitors' lead grew from six to nine with just under 3:30 remaining.

"He does a good job of recognizing matchups and coverages in real-time when they're trying to change them," said Joe Mazzulla when asked what makes White so effective in clutch moments.

It wasn't just his hot shooting that helped propel the Celtics to their tenth win in their last 12 tries. The former Colorado Buffalo perfectly timed a charge when Scottie Barnes tried a spin move to get past him. Right before that, he registered one of his game-high three rejections.

It was his impact at both ends of the floor and his ability to consistently produce winning plays that captured who Derrick White is and what makes him so valuable. That includes an unselfish decision on the possession before burying that pull-up three.

As the shot clock wound down, the 31-year-old veteran remained calm. And instead of launching another attempt from behind the arc, which no one would have taken issue with, he made the extra pass to get his team a better look. White swung the ball to his backcourt mate, Payton Pritchard, who rewarded that decision by knocking down a three-pointer of his own. That put Boston ahead 110-104 with 4:17 to play.

White's selfless play and all-around impact were a core factor in the Celtics winning their ninth game against an opponent with a .500 record or better, the most such victories in the NBA this season. It's also a win that moves them into third in the Eastern Conference standings.

It's a surge against high-quality competition that is changing the perception of how people on the outside view what is brewing in Boston.