Ranking Derrick White's top performances in his Boston Celtics career
By Ray Petree
No. 3: April 18, 2023, Game 2 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Quarterfinals vs. Atlanta Hawks
MIN | PTS | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
33:45 | 26 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 1 | .688 | .400 | 1.00 |
The Boston Celtics opened the 2023 postseason against the Atlanta Hawks, who had previously acquired head coach Quin Snyder in February of that year. Snyder transformed the Hawks into one of the league’s best offenses, led by the considerable scoring duo of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. The Hawks finished eighth in the Eastern Conference, entering the Play-In Tournament and defeating the Miami Heat to advance to the postseason.
The Celtics were the number 2 seeded team in the Eastern Conference, meeting the Hawks in the first round. In Game 1, the Celtics led by 30 points entering the second half, coasting to the finish line with minimal effort.
In Game 2, the Celtics led 90-81 entering the fourth quarter — a far cry from their huge lead in Game 1. In the first three quarters, White only scored 12 points, notching 2 rebounds and 3 blocks. In the fourth quarter, White came alive, leading all scorers with 14 points — shooting 5/7 from the field and 2/3 from beyond the arch.
His late-game heroics helped the Celtics survive the Hawks’ push in the fourth quarter and a particularly poor shooting performance from Tatum — who was 2/6 from the field.