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The Boston Celtics pulled level with the Miami Heat in their Eastern Conference Finals matchup, courtesy of a game-winning bucket from Derrick White on May 27.
As the Celtics celebrated their last-second victory over the Heat, Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Boston’s playoff future.
“Boston gonna beat Miami now..It’s over,” Young Tweeted following the game.
After losing the opening three games of their series against the Heat, the Celtics have clawed their way to three straight victories, forcing a game seven in front of their hometown crowd.
Now, the Heat will face a repeat of the 2022 NBA playoffs, where they faced and ultimately lost to the Celtics in game seven at the same point of the postseason, with a Jimmy Butler missed shot being the difference on that occasion.
For the Celtics, this will be their second game seven of the postseason, after they overcame the Philadelphia 76ers in the previous round, with Jayson Tatum making NBA history during that game, by dropping 51 points.
Marcus Smart Praises Derrick White’s Game Winner
When speaking to the media following the Celtics’ May 27 victory, Marcus Smart heaped praise onto Derrick White for his game-winning shot.
“I tell you one thing, man,” Smart said. “If you didn’t know who D-White is, you know who he is now. I mean, that dude has been phenomenal for us this whole year. Just playing the way we knew he could play when we picked him up. And, it’s been refreshing for us and a joy to be on the court with.”
Smart, 29, has been playing some high-level basketball for the Celtics during their Eastern Conference Finals series against Miami. In six games, the veteran point guard is averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 assists, 4 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per contest while shooting 43.1% from the field and 38.9% from the perimeter.
Derrick White Credits Celtics Unity
When addressing the media as part of his post-game press conference, Derrick White discussed the unity within the Celtics locker room, crediting how close the team is with one another.
“I mean, if you’ve been around us this whole season, you know how close this locker room is,” White said. “You see how we’re always joking around. Everybody’s getting along. And, when times are tough, it’s easy to kind of point fingers, but we just stuck together, cared for each other, and we got one more game to go.”
White’s performances this season have been a core factor in the Celtics’ success thus far, with the veteran guard making an All-Defensive second team due to his hustle on that side of the floor.
Furthermore, White was one of the few players in the league (and the only Celtics player) to participate in all 82 regular-season games during the 2022-23 season, providing the Celtics with 12.4 points per game, while averaging 3.6 rebounds and 3.9 assists. White shot 46% from the field during the regular season and 38% from three-point range.
White’s production has ticked up during his 19 appearances in the 2023 playoffs, scoring 13.1 points per game.
The Celtics will now be hoping that White can continue making an impact for the remainder of their postseason run, which could lead to a return to the NBA Finals if Boston can make history by becoming the first team to overturn a 3-0 deficit. Game seven is scheduled to take place at the TD Garden on Monday, May 29.
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