The Boston Celtics had a 129-119 win against the Utah Jazz in their latest game, and they continue to play well this season, even without their best player in the fold. Everyone has stepped up their level of play on both sides of the ball, and it showed against the Jazz, especially for Derrick White.
White is known as one of the better 3-and-D players in the league, and he did everything he could in the game, as he finished with 27 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and seven blocks. It was that last stat that caught everybody's attention, as he tied the record for most blocks by a guard in a single game.
After the game, White was asked about tying the record, and he was speechless.
“That's kind of crazy. I don't know what to say,” White said.
There's no doubt that White was everywhere on the court, and he was almost moving like a center would when they're getting blocks. White has always been a perimeter aggressive defender, and he was going to get rewarded one day. He's just one of the reasons why the Celtics have been successful this season.
Jaylen Brown is another player who has taken his game to another level, and the month of December was very kind to him, as he's scored 30+ points in almost every game.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla shared what he thinks has been working for Brown during this hot stretch.
“He picks and chooses his spots really well,” Mazzulla said via Bobby Krivitsky of Sports Illustrated. “I think he’s finding a great balance of knowing when to score within the offense versus letting the guys kind of do their thing. He spends a ton of time on reading the game and the execution of the game.”
If White and Brown can continue playing at this level, it will be interesting to see what heights this Celtics team can go.
