Clutch plays can happen at any point in a game, even a game a team leads by 27 and wins by 19.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Like, for example, late in the second quarter of the Boston Celtics<\/a> 147-129 win, when Miami had gone on a little bit of a run to get within 15 with about three minutes to go. If Miami was able to build on that momentum, the had enough time to cut the lead to single digits and head into the locker room feeling good about themselves at halftime.\u00a0<\/p>\n Derrick White<\/a> was not going to let that happen.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ayo Derrick White is legit incredible <\/p>\n Great pass getting JB the oop before the buzzer but then notices there are open Heat players on the other end <\/p>\n Immediately hustles back and stops what would\u2019ve been an open layup <\/p>\n His impact needs to be studied pic.twitter.com\/dcx5Zveg55<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 NikNBA\ud83c\udfc0 (@NIKNBAYT) April 2, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n White fueled an 8-0 Boston run with two layups and a pretty alley oop to Jaylen Brown<\/a> to send the Celtics into halftime up 23 and Miami into the locker room hanging their heads.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the last 10 seconds of that stretch was peak Derrick White.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Celtics got a stop with 6.7 seconds to play. White filled the slot in transition, got a pass from Sam Hauser, and then fired a touch-pass alley oop to Brown for a lay up with 1.5 on the clock.\u00a0<\/p>\n But instead of just celebrating, White turned and sprinted back up the court, somehow getting back in time to challenge Pelle Larson at the rim and force a miss. In 6.7 seconds of play, and less than 10 seconds of real time, White went from one baseline to the next and back to assist on two points and prevent two by Miami.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know how the hell he did that, but that was impressive to make the play,\u201d Brown said. \u201cI look and then I’m thinking that Larson has a wide open layup, and then D White comes flying out of nowhere. That’s impressive.\u201d<\/p>\n That’s an understatement.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Celtics didn\u2019t need White\u2019s offense in this game because Brown and Jayson Tatum played to their elite standard. White scored just six points on four shots, but his defense was, as usual, out of this world. To borrow from one of Joe Mazzulla\u2019s<\/a> favorite phrases, White is giving the game what it needs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a great play,\u201d Mazzulla said. \u201cHe only took four shots, but \u2026 you have to have the humility on both sides of an entire team. Those other guys had it going, and you need a group of guys that understand that, but have to compete at all the other stuff. And I think that play was Derrick\u2019s.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Awards season is around the corner, and there’s no doubt White will get recognized for his defensive abilities. Just how deep that recognition goes will be interesting to see, but the guys on the floor who have the best view of what he does know he needs to be in all the defensive conversations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat’s First-Team All-Defense type stuff,\u201d Brown said. \u201cThose are Defensive Player of the Year type plays. And Derrick, his timing is just unbelievable for a guard. His timing is just amazing, how he can just, his feel, to be able to get those blocks and stuff like that is special. So that was great.\u201d<\/p>\n