Derrick White serenaded with MVP chants during Game 2
BOSTON -- Whenever an MVP chant breaks out inside TD Garden during a Celtics game, it's usually for Jayson Tatum or Jaylen Brown. During Tuesday night's Game 2, it was guard Derrick White being serenaded with the crowd's adulation.
White was spectacular in Boston's 119-106 victory, dropping 26 points on an extremely efficient 11-for-16 from the floor. He scored 14 of those points in the fourth quarter as the C's held off the Hawks to take a 2-0 series lead.
It was when White stepped to the free throw line with 4:25 left that the MVP chants started. He knocked down both freebies to give Boston a 14-point lead at that point.
White has enjoyed an incredible season for Boston, proving that he's so much more than just a role player or nice depth piece. He's emerged as a third star behind Tatum and Brown, someone who can attack the hoop and knock down shots while also locking up guards on the defensive end.
He played like an MVP at times during the regular season, and has been just as good over the first two games against the Hawks. In two games against Atlanta, White has scored 50 points while shooting an incredible 62.1 percent from the floor. He's hit six of his 12 attempts from downtown.
He added seven rebounds and three blocks to those 26 points on Tuesday night. White was a little surprised to hear the MVP chants as Boston put the finishing touches on its Game 2 win, but his teammates absolutely loved that the praise was being sent his way.
"I was happy to hear that for him," said Tatum, who led Boston scorers with 29 on Tuesday. "We talked about it after the game. He was like, 'So that's what it feels like?'"
"On any given night, it can be anybody," added Brown, who scored 18 for the Celtics. "You just have to encourage that. I tell D-White all the time, 'Be aggressive, be confident.' That does open up the game, different spots during the same game, or different games down the line. Teams respect other guys who are on the floor, so we need much more of that from D-White. We need him to keep that up."
White said that encouragement has him feeling extremely confident.
"It's cool to hear that from those guys," he said. "They all empower me to go out there and play my game, and we're just trying to have fun and get some wins."
White can do a lot of everything on the floor, whether he's hitting his floaters, blocking shots at the rim, or helping the Boston defense lock down a backcourt threat. He was a fantastic addition to Boston's core at last season's trade deadline, and has now become a big part of that very core.
"I've been saying last year was kind of a whirlwind since I got traded for a lot of reasons," White said. "This year, from the first day, I just felt comfortable. And the team is doing a great job of inspiring me and helping me out throughout."
"We're just so much more of a dynamic team when D. White is asserting himself and being aggressive and not being passive," said Tatum.
White and the Celtics will look to keep things rolling Friday night when the series shifts to Atlanta for Game 3. He likely won't hear many MVP chants inside State Farm Arena, but he can certainly continue to make a major impact for the Celtics.