Mazzulla praises ‘aggressive’ D-White after bounce-back performance originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The Boston Celtics are a different team when Derrick White is on his game. Saturday’s NBA Finals rematch vs. the Dallas Mavericks was a perfect example.
White dropped 23 points as the C’s cruised to a 122-107 victory over the Mavs at American Airlines Center. Sixteen of his points came during the third quarter, his highest-scoring quarter of the season.
After starting 0-for-6 from the floor to continue his shooting slump, White made seven of his next 10 shots to finish 7-for-16 (4-10 3-PT). He added five rebounds (three offensive) and four assists in what marked his best performance in weeks.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla loved White’s approach in the bounce-back effort.
“The way we get him looks is just empower him,” he said. “I think that’s the best way to get him looks is just empower him and make sure that he’s aggressive. I love watching him do that.
“It’s great to watch his teammates empower him too, because they know that we need him. So it was nothing more than just continuing to make sure he finds ways to be aggressive.”
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis echoed Mazzulla’s sentiments, noting that White is a difference-maker when his shots are falling.
“D-White’s just so good,” Porzingis said. “Maybe he lost a little bit of rhythm, which can happen. I think today we saw a couple threes that he hit, it was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’s D-White when he’s in a rhythm,’ and it’s always good to see that.
“We’re a different beast when D-White gets going and starts hitting shoulders, threes, these deep corner threes. He hits so many daggers for us. That brings us to another level.”
When White isn’t scoring, he’s typically still making his presence felt as a playmaker and a defender. Although Mazzulla praised his aggressiveness, White knows his coach appreciates what he brings to the table even when he’s slumping offensively.
“He just trusts that I’ll make the right play just kind of understand the flow of the game,” White said. “Obviously, there’s times where I need to be aggressive and there’s times where I gotta get the guys the ball. He trusts that I’ll find that balance.
“He’s always supporting me. When I missed my first three or four, when I was going into the timeout, he just said, ‘I love you.’ So just things like that to keep it going.”
After going 3-1 on their West Coast road trip, the C’s will return home Monday to take on the Houston Rockets. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.
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