Derrick White Torches Heat with Career-High 9 Threes as Celtics Stay Hot at Home
BOSTON - If the Miami Heat were hoping for a quiet night from Derrick White, they got the exact opposite. The Celtics guard lit up TD Garden with a career-best nine made threes, pouring in 33 points as Boston rolled past Miami, 129-116, in a statement win Friday night.
White has had his share of big moments against the Heat in recent years - especially in the postseason - and Friday was another chapter in that story. This wasn’t just a hot hand; it was a full-on flamethrower performance.
White was everywhere: 33 points, six assists, five rebounds, and four blocks. Oh, and for the first time in his career?
Back-to-back 30-point games. He’s playing with supreme confidence right now, and it’s showing in every facet of his game.
Jaylen Brown matched that energy with a strong showing of his own, finishing with 30 points, nine boards, and seven assists in 35 minutes. Brown's physicality and pace helped keep Boston in rhythm offensively, especially in transition, where the Celtics continue to thrive.
What really stands out from this one, though, is how efficient Boston was. Despite taking 20 fewer shots than Miami, the Celtics shot a scorching 54% from the field.
The Heat, by contrast, struggled to find their rhythm, hitting just 39% of their attempts. That kind of disparity tells the story - Boston didn’t need volume, just precision.
The win bumps the Celtics to 16-11 on the season, keeping them steady in fourth place in the Eastern Conference. Miami, now 15-13, drops to seventh as the middle of the East continues to tighten.
Next up, the Celtics head north of the border for a Saturday night clash with the Toronto Raptors - one of the three teams ahead of them in the standings. It’s another chance for Boston to build momentum as they continue to find their stride in a competitive conference race.
If Derrick White keeps shooting like this, the Celtics might be more dangerous than we thought.