Derrick White Assigns Blame After Celtics' Loss to Pistons

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Nick Meyer | Last updated Dec 16, 2025 2:21 AM ET

Key Points:

Boston lost to Detroit at home
Jaylen Brown had a strong game
Derrick White assigned blame

The Boston Celtics dropped a 112-105 home game to the Detroit Pistons on Monday despite a 34 point, eight rebound, seven assist performance from star forward Jaylen Brown, causing fans and players to react in late hours of the night.

Among them was Celtics guard Derrick White, who helped out his teammate with 31 points on 10 made three-pointers against the new beasts of the East, the conference leading Pistons.

White spoke candidly about what went wrong and who was to blame following the loss while sticking up for his maligned teammate amid the Celtics' struggles without Jayson Tatum.

Dec 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) reacts in the third quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum. Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

White Admits Fault After Detroit Loss

White admitted fault after the Celtics' loss while sticking up for Brown. He spoke about being hard on himself and said he's in the same boat with Brown in that regard.

"I think that's kind of what makes it special," White said. "30 something (points) and he still wants to do better for us...He's probably his toughest critic, and we know that he's going to bounce back and continue to do special things for us.

"Obviously, this loss isn't on him. It's on all of us."

Brown Praises Celtics' Physicality

Brown put the blame on himself after the loss in postgame press conference comments while praising his team for matching Detroit in the physicality department.

"Yeah, a very physical game," Brown said. "I thought we met the challenge physical-wise, physicality-wise, you know, we rebounded, protected the paint...all those good things.

"We just, you know, we've got to be better, I've got to be better, you know, I wasn't good enough for my team tonight so, that's on me," Brown added.

Celtics Have Time Off Before Next Game

The Celtics have Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday off before facing Erik Spoelstra's Miami Heat on Friday in Beantown.

Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET with the game televised on NBA League Pass, NBC Sports Boston and FanDuel Sports Network Sun.

The Celts are 15-11 after losses to Milwaukee and Detroit on the heels of five straight wins, good for third place in the Atlantic Division.

White and Brown are outgunned with Tatum working his way back from injury and Joe Mazzula's team working its way through a transition period that few fans saw coming until Tatum's injury.

The Celtics' dynamic duo remains undeterred by the long odds stacked against them and continues to fight against teams with better depth and more optimism.

These "dog days" of the NBA season are tough for both players to deal with right now, but will almost certainly pay dividends down the line for a Celtics team and franchise that don't know the meaning of the word "quit."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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