[Forsberg] Numbers don’t lie: Fourth Quarter Derrick is vital to Celtics’ success
November 19, 2025
[Forsberg] Numbers don’t lie: Fourth Quarter Derrick is vital to Celtics’ success
1 comment
From Chris Forsberg:
Over the past three seasons, there is one very telling indicator of Boston’s success: Did the Celtics outscore their opponent during Derrick White’s fourth-quarter floor time? If so, there’s a good chance they won that night.
Yes, “Fourth Quarter Derrick” and his knack for winning plays on both ends of the court is a very real thing.
On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, as the Celtics stumbled their way through a turnover-plagued outing against the lowly Nets at the Barclays Center, White channeled some of his familiar fourth-quarter antics. He knocked down two timely 3-pointers. He drew a charge. He swatted Michael Porter Jr. to force a 24-second violation.
The Celtics are now 67-7 over the past three seasons when they outscore opponents during White’s fourth-quarter floor time. That’s a .905 winning percentage. Boston was 33-1 last season when the team won White’s fourth-quarter time. The C’s are 6-2 this season.
On the flip side, when the Celtics either tie or are outscored during White’s fourth-quarter floor time, they are 40-27 over the past three seasons (.597 winning percentage). That includes a 2-4 mark this season, as White has struggled to have his familiar fourth-quarter impact in the infancy of this new campaign.
Balk if you’d like. We wouldn’t blame you for saying, “Thanks, Captain Obvious: If the Celtics’ starters outscore their opponent in the fourth quarter, there is a very good chance the team wins.”
But we ought to know by now: As goes Derrick, so go the Celtics. And his fingerprints were all over getting Boston to the finish line of an otherwise sloppy night in Brooklyn.
1 comment
From Chris Forsberg:
Over the past three seasons, there is one very telling indicator of Boston’s success: Did the Celtics outscore their opponent during Derrick White’s fourth-quarter floor time? If so, there’s a good chance they won that night.
Yes, “Fourth Quarter Derrick” and his knack for winning plays on both ends of the court is a very real thing.
On Tuesday night in Brooklyn, as the Celtics stumbled their way through a turnover-plagued outing against the lowly Nets at the Barclays Center, White channeled some of his familiar fourth-quarter antics. He knocked down two timely 3-pointers. He drew a charge. He swatted Michael Porter Jr. to force a 24-second violation.
White finished with a team-high eight points in the fourth quarter as the Celtics outscored the Nets by 10 and [emerged with a 113-99 triumph](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/live-updates-nets-highlights-analysis-jaylen-brown/748249/).
The Celtics are now 67-7 over the past three seasons when they outscore opponents during White’s fourth-quarter floor time. That’s a .905 winning percentage. Boston was 33-1 last season when the team won White’s fourth-quarter time. The C’s are 6-2 this season.
On the flip side, when the Celtics either tie or are outscored during White’s fourth-quarter floor time, they are 40-27 over the past three seasons (.597 winning percentage). That includes a 2-4 mark this season, as White has struggled to have his familiar fourth-quarter impact in the infancy of this new campaign.
Balk if you’d like. We wouldn’t blame you for saying, “Thanks, Captain Obvious: If the Celtics’ starters outscore their opponent in the fourth quarter, there is a very good chance the team wins.”
But we ought to know by now: As goes Derrick, so go the Celtics. And his fingerprints were all over getting Boston to the finish line of an otherwise sloppy night in Brooklyn.
[Read more here](https://www.nbcsportsboston.com/nba/boston-celtics/derrick-white-fourth-quarter-stats-nets/748602/).