Celtics News: Kristaps Porzingis Praises Derrick White For Surprising Reason

Gabe Smallson | Feb 24, 2025

Feb 1, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) slips past Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) and guard Derrick White (9) in the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics are scorching hot at the moment as they have won nine of their last 10 contests.

Coming off of a dominant 118-105 win over fellow Eastern Conference contenders in the New York Knicks, Jayson Tatum led the way with a near triple-double dropping 25 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists. Jaylen Brown Followed in scoring with 24 points and eight rebounds of his own.

More news: Fresh NBA Mock Draft Has Celtics Grab Multi-Time NCAA Champion Forward

Another core starter for the Celtics, Derrick White, had a quiet 19 points, nine rebounds, seven assists, and a steal in the victory.

White always seems to be there when Boston needs him most, and that is exactly what center Kristaps Porzingis had to say about him after the game.

"D-White, I think why we love him so much is just who he is and how he plays in general," Porzingis said. "One thing I love about him is when we need big shots, when we're a little bit flat he can hit a deep corner three or some clutch 3, he has this in his blood. He can bring us out of that bump we're in. That's one thing I really love about him as a teammate, he's always hitting really timely shots for us."

Kristaps Porzingis on Derrick White:
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“One thing I love about him is he always makes big shots…he can hit some deep corner three or some clutch three, he has this in his blood.”
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Whether it is a late three, a game-altering steal, or keeping up his energy for 48 minutes, White clearly has an infectious play-style about him, regardless of if it shows up on the stat sheet.

More news: Jalen Brunson Offers Honest Assessment Following Celtics Blowout Win Over Knicks

His play that is documented in the box score, however, is much improved from last season. He is averaging more points rebounds, minutes, and three-pointers this year than the 2023-24 campaign.

As things currently stand for White, he is putting up 16.2 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game along with 1.1 blocks and 0.8 steals this season.

The playoffs are where White gets to another level, as he displayed last season

He put up 16.7 points, 4.1 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.2 blocks, and 0.9 steals per game through 19 playoff games on the way to banner No. 18.

More news: Celtics Guard Derrick White Reveals His Basketball Joy Was Taken Earlier This Season

Celtics' Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown React to Derrick White Surprising Admission

For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, visit Boston Celtics on SI.