The Celtics were without Jason Tatum after Achilles’ devastating injuries, but Derrick White was immeasurable as he dominated the Knicks in Game 5, the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference.
The Boston Celtics faced the risk of elimination in Game 5 against the New York Knicks. They not only managed to win, but did so in a dominant way.
The Celtics scored 127-102. The team was tied up at halftime, but the Celtics scored the third quarter with 15 points and never looked back.
Jason Tatum has already undergone surgery for the torn Achilles. His absence has been throwing poles at Boston since he was down in Game 4, but his teammates have stepped up for him.
Jalen Brown had almost a triple double, scoring 26 points and 12 assists. Luke Corne had a whopping 7 blocks in the evening. But the man who caught everyone’s attention was Derrick White.
Boston has shown over and over that they are not a single team. In fact, it is their incredible depth that led them to the NBA Championships more than anything else.
Tatum’s injuries may have shocked the Celtics locker room to the core, but they didn’t get off that easily. White showed that he would lead the team with 34 points and earn fans respect.
X fans praised White most after his performance. One fan said, “Derrick White will be an All-Star next year. I’ve heard it first here.”
The second fan said, “He was the best player in the series.” This is a general sentiment, with another fan writing, “Derrick White is now the main guy in Boston.”
Another fan said, “He can finally step up and show what he has. He’s been showing this for a while,” and thought this would come for a long time.
“I love you, Derrick White,” a Boston fan wrote. Another added, “People need to stop sleeping this guy with just how incredible.”
As one fan comment shows, Tatum was in everyone’s hearts too. He wrote, “Dwhite did that for his brother.”
TD Garden shook towards Game 5, and the Celtics fed that energy by scoring the second half with 25 points. This was a warning sign for the Knicks.
Jalen Brunson had a terrible game 5 and got into foul trouble in the third quarter. He also had just 22 points in the night.
Both Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby had less than 10 points in the evening. The Celtics may not have a tatum, but numbers like these won’t get the job done on them.
Game 6 at Madison Square Garden is extremely important. New York fans appear and teams are needed as well. If you have to play Game 7 in Boston, the pressure is firmly on the Knicks.