PHILADELPHIA — Boston Celtics guard Derrick White is a winning player at his core. That may not have been the case for much of the Greens’ 108-100 win on Friday night, as he missed open shots time and time again against a rejuvenated Philadelphia 76ers team. However, he turned the tide in Boston’s favor in Game 3 when it mattered most.
In the last 4 minutes of the fourth quarter, White grabbed 2 offensive rebounds and the Celtics scored a total of 5 points. In Game 3, both teams struggled to score, so it’s no exaggeration to say that these points were a lifesaver. As the Sixers went on a 5-0 run and the atmosphere was electric at Xfinity Mobile Arena, White perfectly tracked Nikola Vucevic’s missed 3-pointer and passed it to his teammates.
April 24, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey (0) is defended by Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
Celtics star Jaylen Brown then took the ball and converted the second chance into a smooth jumper that left Philadelphia fans in a state of silence. With 3 minutes and 49 seconds left in the game, the Celtics led 94-90, but the tug-of-war between the two sides was far from over.
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Philadelphia responded, making it 103-100 after Sixers forward Kelly Oubre Jr. hit two free throws. Vucevic once again had a chance to suppress the 76ers, however, his three-pointer bounced off the rim with 36 seconds left in regulation. White was once again missing on the glass and he swooped in to grab a key offensive rebound. From there, Celtics star Jayson Tatum took a shot from beyond the arc with the game in the balance — and he didn’t miss.
“We need him,” Tatum said after the crucial win. “I can say it 100 times. We need him, we need him, we need him.”
On the surface, White’s score isn’t pretty. He finished with 11 points, but made 9 of 12 shots from the field, had 2 turnovers, and had a plus-minus of minus-6 (tied for the lowest on the team). Celtics head coach Joe Mazzula doesn’t care.
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“(If) anyone doubts D-White, they don’t really care about winning,” Mazzula declared. “There’s a competitive confidence there. There’s a character there. He’s not just defined by his shooting.”
In three playoff games, White shot only 20% from three-point range. His performance on the field hasn’t been much better, missing 18 of his last 24 attempts over the past two games. His current slump won’t stop Tatum from finding him in the open slot, though.
“We’ve all been there, where you’re not shooting as fast as you expect or want,” Tatum described. “Sometimes you just don’t get there. But White is an unreal basketball player who still leaves his mark on the game and makes timely plays on both ends of the floor. But, never lose faith in yourself. When he’s open, we’re going to get the ball to him. We want him to be aggressive. Never turn down a shot.”
Brown agreed, even saying that White actually played well.
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“His shots didn’t go down like he wanted them to, but he made some really good shots and made some great plays and that’s the result,” Brown praised. “His experience – we trust Derrick in those moments and he usually always delivers. So as the playoffs go on, he’s going to find his shot and he’s going to – the water is going to find the level.”
On the defensive end, where White usually excels, he had some trouble keeping up with the speedy Sixers star Tyrese Maxey. He wasn’t the only one in this jam, as Maxey scored a game-high 31 points and created space with ease.
Mazzula never mentioned that in his postgame press conference, instead honing in on how effective White was on defense and, of course, celebrating his huge offensive rebound in the game.
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“When the first game started, he defended 54 pick-and-rolls, which was the most on the team,” Mazzula said. “He’s got to be able to do that for us to win. Both of those rebounds are important rebounds and he can impact the win in a lot of different ways. So I’m always going to double down on his competitive personality, who he is.”
Despite White’s slump, the Celtics believe they have a 2-1 lead in their first-round playoff series ahead of Sunday night’s Game 4 to thank him.
“He was great in Game 2, had some blocks and then grabbed the rebound at the end of the game and won the game,” Brown said. “They add up.”
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown have nothing but good things to say about Derrick White after Game 3 win