On a franchise as storied as the Boston Celtics, where the rafters are crowded with legends and the record books read like a Hall of Fame program, it’s rare to see something truly unprecedented. But Friday night at TD Garden, Derrick White carved out a new chapter in Celtics history - and he did it with the kind of all-around brilliance that’s becoming his trademark.
White dropped a game-high 33 points in Boston’s 129-116 win over the Miami Heat, but this wasn’t just a hot shooting night. It was a full-on clinic.
He added six assists, five rebounds, and four blocks - a stat line that’s already impressive before you even glance at the shooting numbers. Then you see the nine three-pointers.
That’s right - nine triples on 14 attempts, good for a scorching 64.3% from deep, and 11-of-20 shooting overall.
No one in Celtics history - not Bird, not Pierce, not even the modern sharpshooters like Ray Allen or Jayson Tatum - has ever posted at least 30 points, four assists, four rebounds, and four blocks while hitting nine threes in a single game. That’s not just rare air. That’s uncharted territory.
Even if you take the three-point barrage out of the equation, the company White joins is elite: Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Jeff Green are the only Celtics to ever hit those statistical marks in a game. But White’s night had a different feel - not just because of the numbers, but because of the way he got them.
He set the tone early. On Boston’s first possession, White used a Neemias Queta screen and capitalized on Jamie Jaquez Jr.’s decision to go under it.
One crossover later, he was in rhythm and knocked down his first shot. That was all the spark he needed.
“I felt good from the beginning,” White said postgame. “I think I made the first shot, and then just tried to keep it rolling from there.”
And roll he did. The defining moment came in the fourth quarter, when White found himself isolated against 7-footer Kel’el Ware.
Anfernee Simons floated by with a ghost screen, pulling Ware just enough out of position. White took one hard dribble, then stepped back and let it fly - banking in a triple that sent TD Garden into a frenzy.
He turned to the bench, his expression somewhere between disbelief and swagger. That was a man who knew he was in the zone.
“I made a few in a row, and so everybody was like, ‘There was no chance you were driving on that one,’” White laughed. “Just tried to get some space, and the bank was open.”
The shooting was electric, but what makes White so valuable is everything else he brings. His four blocks weren’t just chase-down highlights - they were momentum-killers for Miami, altering shots at the rim and disrupting the Heat’s rhythm. And that didn’t go unnoticed by opposing head coach Erik Spoelstra.
“I think he is the most underrated player in the league,” Spoelstra said. “The guy is an absolute winner.
Whatever role you put him in. Tonight, obviously, it showed that he could be a scorer in all the different facets.
Defensively, he just does so many things. He’s the best shot-blocking guard in the league.”
That last part? It’s not hyperbole.
White’s timing, instincts, and fearlessness allow him to contest shots most guards wouldn’t dream of challenging. He’s a defensive anchor from the backcourt - something that’s incredibly rare in today’s NBA.
With performances like this, White is forcing his way into the All-Star conversation. And while the new All-Star format - three teams, two U.S.-based and one international - doesn’t change how players are selected, it does make the competition even tighter. Only 12 players from each conference will make the cut.
Will White be one of them? It’s a tough ask in an Eastern Conference stacked with backcourt talent.
But if injury replacements come into play, his name will be at the top of a lot of coaches’ lists. And when someone like Spoelstra - who’s coached All-Stars, champions, and future Hall of Famers - calls you the most underrated player in the league, that says a lot.
Derrick White doesn’t always demand the spotlight. But on Friday night, he didn’t just step into it - he lit it up.