Mental toughness is hard to define, but it's apparent in the game of Boston Celtics guard Derrick White.
On Monday night against the New Orleans Pelicans, White went 1-for-7 in the first half and missed four shots from beyond the arc. But, instead of fading away in the final frame, White got red hot down the stretch and helped the Celtics capture a 118-112 victory.
The guard scored 13 points in the fourth quarter, going 5-for-6 from the field and 3-for-4 from deep when it mattered most. He finished with 17 points, four assists, and one steal on the night.
Derrick White can't be stopped tonight š„pic.twitter.com/XsNs7SZLKt
ā Celtics Nation (@CelticsNationCP) January 30, 2024
Despite White's slow start, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was confident that his guard would bounce back. Following the win, Mazzulla commended the Colorado native's resilient nature and his ability to overcome a shooting slump, per CelticsBlog reporter Jack Simone.
āHe doesn't stop playing,ā Mazzulla said. āTo me, you take a look at a guy like him, and you can't tell by his defense that he missed six in a row ā¦ And he's not going to pass [a shot] up.ā
When shots aren't falling, White still manages to positively impact the game. And fortunately for the C's, he wasn't the only one hanging tough against the Pelicans.
Boston shot 24% from deep in the first half and trailed 60-50 at halftime. Yet, the Celtics didn't lose faith in the long ball, going 11-for-21 from 3-point land in the second half to overcome the double-digit deficit. In the fourth quarter alone, White and star Jayson Tatum combined for 27 points while the Pelicans as a whole put up just 25 points in the final 12 minutes.
What's even more impressive is that this all occurred less than two full days after the Celtics had an embarrassing offensive performance against the Los Angeles Clippers. On Saturday night, Boston scored only 96 points and shot a horrific 36% from the field. White had just two points during the 115-96 loss but didn't let that faze him versus New Orleans.
White's bounce-back game encapsulates one of the Celtics' greatest feats this season: they haven't let losses stack. The C's are an NBA-best 10-1 in games following a defeat, via Boston's official statistics account.
The Celtics can't just rest on their laurels though, especially with a Tuesday night contest against the new-look Indiana Pacers. Boston is 2-2 against Indiana this season and will need to remain resolute to win the regular season series.
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