Derrick White received MVP chants at the free-throw line en route to his incredibly efficient night. The Boston Celtics' guard had 30 points on 10-16 shooting and 6-10 from three with two blocks, two steals, and three assists to excel them to 10-0 at home in their 133-123 victory over the New York Knicks.
The C's were ignited by Kristaps Porzingis' 21 points in his return, starting out a perfect 7-7 from the field. They also made it an emphasis to get Jrue Holiday going offensively, getting him in the post, and as he got free for some jumpers, giving him 16. Al Horford also had a tremendous double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds with three triples.
White has been acknowledging the abundance of love he has been receiving from the Celtics' fans the last year here in his second season. His improvements on both sides, the way he makes the right play every time, and his Game 6 game-winner in Miami last May made it easy to propel him as a fan favorite instantly.
Jared Weiss of The Athletic asked the Celtics' guard about his underrated journey leading to MVP chants for this organization.
"I mean, it's crazy, we got the best fans in the league, so, I'm most thankful and grateful for them," White said before he continued with some chuckles. "I mean, I know I'm not the MVP, but it's always cool here."
White has become nothing short of a stellar Celtic in his first two full seasons in Boston, excelling his game on both ends, especially when the stakes are at their highest in the playoffs and beyond. He has continued to evolve his game, having career-best numbers and efficiency on the season as a connecter for the team on both sides of the ball on every level. White continues to be at the forefront of the NBA's most underrated players.
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