Boston Celtics Advance to NBA Finals: Derrick White’s Clutch 3-Pointer Secures Victory
Sportsgrid Staff
Host · Writer
Derrick White stood stoically at midcourt as his teammates celebrated around him on Monday night. While Jayson Tatum tossed the ball high into the air, Al Horford ran towards the coaching staff, and Jaylen Brown hoisted the Eastern Conference finals MVP trophy, White seemed ready to get back to work.
His tie-breaking 3-pointer with 43 seconds left secured the Boston Celtics a 105-102 victory over the Indiana Pacers, sweeping the series 4-0 and sending Boston to their second NBA Finals in three years.
“Great shot. We work on that all the time, two-on-one reads,” said Brown, who scored 29 points, grabbed six rebounds, and blocked a key shot with 65 seconds left to preserve the lead. “Before that, I told D White just to stay ready and that was a big shot, a big shot to send us to the finals.”
White, who had scored just 16 points and was 1 of 8 from beyond the arc before making the decisive shot from the corner, played a crucial role when it mattered most. Despite taking a back seat to Brown, Tatum (26 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists), Jrue Holiday, and even the 37-year-old Horford, White delivered when the Celtics needed a basket to chase their 18th NBA title.
The Celtics now await the winner of the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves series, with Dallas holding a 3-0 lead. Game 4 is set for Tuesday.
“We feel confident, we feel comfortable in any type of game, and we feel we’ve got answers for anything at us,” White said. “We’ve just got to find the right ones.”
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Boston’s victory came exactly one year after White’s tip-in helped the Celtics rally from a 3-0 deficit to tie the conference finals against Miami, only to lose Game 7 at home. This year, they’ve won seven straight playoff games, are 6-0 on the road, and are 3-0 in elimination games.
The Pacers, who were 6-0 at home before ending the season with two straight losses at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, fought hard but fell short. Indiana held leads or was tied in the final minute of three games in the series but couldn’t close out. On Monday, Boston shut them out for the final 3 1/2 minutes.
Coach Rick Carlisle praised his team’s effort, especially given their injuries and youth. Although the Celtics pulled off the sweep, this series was much closer than the final result.
The Celtics dominated late, tying the game with 2:40 left on Brown’s jumper and taking the lead on White’s 3-pointer. They forced two turnovers, and Brown blocked Nembhard’s shot at the rim with 1:05 left. Indiana had one last chance, but Jrue Holiday chased down Tatum’s missed 3-pointer, sealing the win.
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