BOSTON — Derrick White, after draining a barrage of three-pointers in three consecutive playoff games, was asked if he felt like he was in the zone. Grinning after his 25-point performance led the Boston Celtics to a commanding 120-95 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Tuesday, he responded, “I’d say so. It feels good … I just want to help us win.”
White’s red-hot shooting paved the way for Boston’s decisive victory. He went 7-for-12 from beyond the arc, including a 4-for-6 burst in the third quarter that saw him drop 14 points. This stellar showing boosted his three-game total to 20 made three-pointers on 37 attempts, a remarkable 54% success rate. That kind of shooting placed him among elite company, becoming just the fifth player in NBA playoff history to achieve such a feat. The others on the list? Stephen Curry (three times), Klay Thompson (2016), Jamal Murray (2020), and Damian Lillard (2021 and 2024 combined).
His shooting spree was more than enough to secure the win for Boston, who improved to 5-1 in these playoffs with a game that felt more like a regular-season contest than an intense postseason clash.
Boston’s head coach, Joe Mazzulla, explained the significance of White’s aggressive shooting. “It’s important because it means he’s getting good shots, whether that’s in transition, off solid screens, or through extra passes,” he said. “It shows we’re hitting the different layers of our offense, which is crucial against a team like Cleveland.”
White’s shooting also helped open the floor for Jaylen Brown, who put up 32 points on an efficient 12-for-18 shooting, with six rebounds and two assists while only turning the ball over once. Together, Brown and White spearheaded a Celtics offense that seemed to effortlessly outpace a Cavaliers team still recovering from a grueling Game 7 against the Orlando Magic.
Cavaliers coach J.B. Bickerstaff acknowledged the challenge of facing Boston’s up-tempo style. “There’s a lot of areas we can improve on,” he said. “The guys had the right intent and effort, but playing against a team like Boston, with their speed, spacing, and shooting, is different, especially coming from a slower, half-court slugfest. We’ll learn from it and be better on Thursday.”
For Cleveland to stay competitive in this series, they’ll need to adapt quickly. Despite Donovan Mitchell’s 33-point effort, Boston’s offensive firepower, led by White, proved too much for the Cavaliers to handle. White’s transformation from his struggles during the Celtics’ 2022 NBA Finals run to his current sharpshooting form has been a game-changer.
“Derrick White has grown,” Jaylen Brown said. “He’s a new version that we haven’t seen before. He’s put in the work, his body’s developed, he’s got more playoff experience, and he’s playing aggressively. We urge him to keep that up.”
