Derrick White Works Out Before Game 6 to Snap 14-for-47 Slump
derrick white spent Thursday morning in a lengthy shooting workout before Game 6 against the 76ers, trying to shake loose from a playoff slump that had cut into his scoring rhythm. He entered the game having made 14 of 47 shots from the field and 7 of 33 from 3-point range in the series.
White, 76ers, and the Shot Count
White said he was trying to stay confident and stay aggressive as he looked for a way through the cold stretch. “I’m trying to stay confident, be aggressive when I can, and obviously just do the things I’ve done all year to help us win games.”
He also put the problem in plain terms: “Just got to try to be a little bit more aggressive.” The guard added, “There’s a lot of different ways to impact the game,” a line that fit the role Boston still needed from him even if the jumper did not come around quickly.
Derrick White and Boston's Shot Mix
The friction point was not hard to find. White said he had turned down several open looks and looked tentative on some of the shots he eventually took, a change from a regular season in which he averaged a career-high 14.4 shots per game. Over Games 4 and 5, that number dropped to 6.5 shots per game.
Boston also had reason to keep trusting the rest of White’s game. He made two big blocks late in the Celtics' 108-103 Game 3 win after going 1 for 8 in that game, and the Celtics led the NBA in postseason offensive rebounding percentage at 36.8 after posting 33.6 percent during the regular season, the fifth-best mark in the league.
Nick Nurse on Boston Rhythm
Nick Nurse said the Celtics have a good sense of when the ball is going up, pointing to the way they attack the glass. “I think a lot of it has to do with rhythm,” he said. “Like, I think they have a good sense of when the ball is going up like a half-count before most teams.”
That timing, he said, pushes Boston’s first movers into the play early. “And they’re just out of the starting blocks a half-count before you’re kind of used to,” Nurse said, adding that “at least two guys are out of the blocks a half count early.” For White, the task before Game 6 was simpler: get his shot back without losing the other ways he can tilt a playoff game.
