Boston Celtics basketball is back. Well, sort of. It’s only the preseason, but the Celtics have already started the year out on a good note. They wrapped up a two-game sweep of the Denver Nuggets on Sunday, earning a 130-104 blowout win in Abu Dhabi. But just because it’s the preseason doesn’t mean Jayson Tatum was going to take it easy on Derrick White.
Both Tatum and White hit the pine by the second half, but they enjoyed some quality minutes, helping lift the Celtics to a second straight victory. During the game, White hit the glass hard, snagging five boards, including two on the offensive end. It was enough to catch the eyes of the media in attendance.
But Tatum was confused.
Jayson Tatum doesn't care about Derrick White's offensive rebounds
After the game, Tatum and White shared the podium for their post-game interviews. When a reported complimented White for his activity on the offensive glass, Tatum immediately picked up the box score with a puzzled look on his face.
A smile crept across White’s face as he leaned over and proudly pointed out his two offensive boards to his teammate.
Tatum wasn’t very impressed.
“You only had two,” Tatum said to White once the question was asked.
“Yeah, but I was impactful,” White responded. “That’s what he said.”
TFW the teacher realizes they shouldn't have sat you and your friend next to each other in class 🤣
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 6, 2024
… petition to have @jaytatum0 and @Dwhite921 do every press conference together pic.twitter.com/IzNxefcXfd
As White continued to answer the question, Tatum couldn’t hold back his laughter. The two Celtics stars sat on the podium, smiling their way through White’s response.
“Yeah, I’m just out there. Just trying to create plays,” White said. “Any chance we can to get an extra possession or steal a possession, we got to take advantage of it. And I watched Payton have a lot of success last year with it, so I thought I would try it.”
White finished the game with 13 points, five rebounds, and six assists. He shot 5-of-10 from the floor and 2-of-6 from behind the three-point line.
As for Tatum, the Celtics superstar put up 17 points, two rebounds, and four assists while shooting 6-of-14 from the field and 3-of-7 from beyond the arc.
As White noted, Pritchard has historically done a great job of getting inside and stealing some offensive rebounds. Boston has put a huge emphasis on crashing, especially with their guys from the corners.
That’s exactly what White did against the Nuggets, even if Tatum didn’t appreciate it in the post-game media session. (Though it did provide one a very entertaining moment.)