Boston Celtics’ Derrick White on His 38-Point Explosion in Game 4 Win Vs. Miami Heat: ‘I Got the Ultimate Green Light’

Derrick White led the way with a game-high 38 points on 15-of-26 shooting while recording eight three-pointers, four rebounds, three assists, and three blocks. He came out of the gates hot by scoring 16 points in the first period, tying his career-high for playoff points in a quarter.

“Every game, I have the same mindset of trying to be aggressive, just read what the game is telling you, not force anything, and just do what I need to do,” Derrick White said via Taylor Snow. “Tonight, I got a couple of good looks early and then my team did a great job with just finding me and empowering me to stay aggressive, so a lot of credit goes to those guys.”

“I got the ultimate green light so I could take some dumb ones, which I did. You just try to not do that and just play within the flow of the offense. It starts with Joe (Mazzulla). Ever since he took over, he’s given me the most confidence. It’s amazing to play for him and I love it,” he added.

Derrick White joins rare company after leading the Boston Celtics in Game 4

Derrick White became the third player in NBA history alongside Vince Carter and Damian Lillard to record at least 35 points, eight rebounds, and three blocks in a playoff game, highlighting his impact on both ends of the floor.

In this playoffs, the Boston Celtics combo guard is averaging 21.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game on 56.9 percent shooting from the field and 47.1 percent from three-point range.

“When he’s being aggressive, it just opens everything up,” Jayson Tatum said about Derrick White. “Whatever they try and take away for myself, when your teammates are hitting shots and being aggressive and attacking close-outs out and making plays, it makes us very, very hard to guard. You want everybody to be assertive and be aggressive and try to make plays. It just makes us a better team.”