Jayson Tatum, Derrick White Amaze NBA Twitter as Celtics Beat LaMelo Ball, Hornets
AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
The Boston Celtics defeated the Charlotte Hornets 127-116 on Friday night at TD Garden despite missing Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and Al Horford due to injuries.
Boston’s depth continues to be tested of late, and the team continues to come up big when it matters most.
Derrick White was Boston’s lightning in a bottle against Charlotte, finishing with 33 points, three rebounds, 10 assists, one steal and three blocks in 36 minutes. He made 12 of 19 shots from the floor and 8 of 14 shots from deep.
White’s 33 points are a career-high. He had never scored 30-plus points in a game before Friday’s contest, with his previous career-high being 29 points.
Following the win, White was praised for stepping up for the C’s alongside Jayson Tatum, who finished with 41 points in the win:
Legion Hoops @LegionHoops
Jayson Tatum and Derrick White combined for 74 points and 13 threes tonight.
Dynamic duo 😄 pic.twitter.com/t2GFUaGs99
Celtics Junkies @Celtics_Junkies
Jayson Tatum is now the youngest player in NBA history to reach 1,000 career threes 🔥 pic.twitter.com/KMS8qxB6oM
Jared Weiss @JaredWeissNBA
Derrick White was shooting like Steph Curry in the first half and now he’s passing like Nikola Jokic in the second half.
Arcand @ChristianArcand
Live look at Derrick White coming out for the second half: pic.twitter.com/S1WYbxI7tP
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops
Derrick White putting on a Show tonight for the Celtics. Already has 23 points midway through the second quarter.
Chris Forsberg @ChrisForsberg_
One year anniversary of the Derrick White trade and he is throwing himself a party.
Jack Simone @JackSimoneNBA
Derrick White might slowly be becoming my favorite player on this Celtics roster
If the Celtics are going to continue to weather the injuries to Smart, Brown and Horford, they’re going to need White to continue competing like he did on Friday night.
The 28-year-old, who was acquired by Boston at last season’s trade deadline, has proved to be an invaluable addition for the Celtics. He entered Friday’s game averaging 10.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 55 games while shooting 45.2 percent from the floor and 38 percent from deep.
The C’s are now 40-16 on the season and will be back in action on Sunday against the Memphis Grizzlies. Boston will be looking to maintain its hold atop the Eastern Conference with the Milwaukee Bucks right on its tail.
