The NBA’s preeminent shot-blocking guard outdid himself Tuesday evening in Utah.
Derrick White, who leads each the Celtics and all NBA gamers at his place in blocked photographs this season, swatted away a career-high seven in Boston’s 129-119 road win over the Jazz.
It was the second-highest single-game block complete by any participant this season — Victor Wembanyama, the San Antonio Spurs’ 7-foot-4 phenom, had 9 in an additional time recreation on Oct. 24 — and equaled one of the best mark ever by a guard for the reason that NBA started recording blocks in 1973-74.
4 others had seven, however none since Tracy McGrady in 2000, and none with the manufacturing White had in different areas Tuesday evening. He grew to become the primary guard in league historical past to tally at the least 27 factors, seven rebounds, six assists and 7 blocks in a recreation.
White didn’t miss from contained in the arc (6-for-6) or the foul line (9-for-9), offsetting a 2-for-10 displaying from 3-point vary, and scored 22 factors within the second half to assist Boston draw back.
The blocks, although, had been the principle attraction on the Delta Middle. Right here’s a better take a look at how White pulled off every of his seven rejections:
First quarter, 11:46: Lower than a minute after tipoff. White will get his hand on an inbounds move to Lauri Markkanen beneath the basket, waits whereas the Jazz ahead regains possession, then blocks him from behind with assist from heart Neemias Queta. Markkanen can be White’s No. 1 goal all through the sport.
First quarter, 8:37: Markkanen once more. This time, the 7-foot-1 Utah star tries to drive previous the 6-foot-4 White in transition. However a lane to the rim by no means opens. White backpedals for 5 steps from the 3-point arc to the restricted space — narrowly lacking Jaylen Brown’s proper foot on one — earlier than elevating to disclaim Markkanen’s layup.
Second quarter, 9:57: Utah once more makes an attempt to push the tempo after a Queta miss, however Isaiah Collier meets the identical destiny as Markkanen. White takes 5 steps backward after selecting up Collier on the free-throw line and instances his soar completely for the block.
Second quarter, 0:03: After powering a second-quarter rally that put the Jazz forward by 5, Keyonte George appears to cap it with a last-second layup. He eludes rookie Hugo Gonzalez with a crossover however runs straight into White, who’d been lurking on the low block. White’s forearms prolong above the rim as he and Queta snuff out George’s drive.
Third quarter, 9:54: White’s 4 first-half blocks got here as a rim defender. On his first of the second half, he chases Markkanen over a Jusuf Nurkic display and swats the ball out of his hand as he pulls up for a 3-point try.
Fourth quarter, 7:41: Add in a single from the midrange for good measure. White hounds Markkanen over two screens — one by Collier, the second by Nurkic — and bats the ball away as he goes up for a 12-foot jumper. This block tied White’s single-game profession excessive, which he set with San Antonio in 2019.
Fourth quarter, 0:32: Walter Clayton Jr. drives on Gonzalez, and White, arriving as a assist defender, leaps too early. He retains his eyes skilled on the ball, although, and is ready to block Clayton’s layup throughout his descent, gaining a measure of revenge after the Jazz rookie posterized him with a first-half dunk that White admitted he didn’t see coming.
“A few them got here on-ball; a few them got here off-ball,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla advised reporters postgame. “I believe this yr, his function has grown to (the purpose the place), once we went with Derrick, Payton (Pritchard), Anfernee (Simons) and Jaylen, he has to protect the opposite group’s finest participant. So he bought a pair (blocks) on pick-and-rolls, on pull-up threes. And at first of the sport when he’s type of roaming, guys we are able to shift off of, he does a great job of coming in and understanding when to assist and never.
“So (it exhibits) simply his defensive versatility, however clearly he was nice tonight.”
Which of White’s blocks was most spectacular? We’d give gold to his second of the sport (the driving Markkanen layup bid), silver to his blocked jumper within the lane and bronze to his rejected 3-pointer.
Simons hitting stride
Whereas White was internet hosting his block celebration, Simons was placing collectively one in every of his finest outings in a Celtics uniform.
Boston’s third guard tallied 20 factors on 6-of-15 taking pictures (4-for-10 from three), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, one steal and one turnover in 28 minutes towards Utah. Simons performed 17 uninterrupted minutes within the second half — from halfway by the third quarter till Gonzalez changed him with 41.6 seconds remaining — throughout which the Celtics turned a two-point deficit into a snug 10-point victory.
Simons was a plus-27 within the win, by far one of the best of any Celtics participant. Luka Garza was second at plus-13. No starter was higher than White’s plus-3.
That’s quietly turn out to be a development for Simons, who’s coming off the bench this season for the primary time since 2021. After taking time to regulate to his new function as Boston’s sixth man, the previous Portland Path Blazers starter has emerged as an efficient second-unit quarterback.
From the beginning of the season by the tip of November, the Celtics outscored opponents by simply seven complete factors throughout Simons’ minutes, and his internet score was within the negatives, worse than all the group’s common rotation gamers aside from the recently resurgent Garza. However for the reason that begin of December, Simons boasts the second-best plus/minus in your complete NBA (plus-128), trailing solely Oklahoma Metropolis’s Cason Wallace. His internet score throughout his 12 December appearances was 21.0, method up from his prior mark of -0.2.
“I believed Ant was nice tonight on each ends of the ground,” Mazzulla advised reporters after Tuesday’s recreation. “I believed he had some nice possessions on Keyonte George within the first half. Clearly, everybody will see the scoring, however I believed his physicality and his consideration to element on protection was nice. Clearly, once we get that model of him, it makes us a unique group, so I believe he helped us lots.”
Within the coming weeks, the Celtics can have a probably tough resolution to make on Simons, who has appeared in all 32 video games this season and ranks fourth on the group in minutes performed. Do they give the impression of being to commerce him and his $27.7 million expiring contract forward of the Feb. 5 commerce deadline, both for luxury-tax aid or assist at one other place? Or hold him, having seen the worth he can present in his function?
