Boston Celtics guard Derrick White controls the ball while New York Knicks guard Miles McBride (2) defends in the second half during Game 5. Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Three stars from Wednesday's NBA playoff games: No Tatum, no problem

By Andrew Wright | Last updated May 15, 2025 12:47 AM ET

Wednesday's NBA action provided two of the more uncompetitive games in the recent days.

There were some excellent performances, however, including from one extremely unlikely individual in Boston.

Here are three stars from the Boston Celtics and Minnesota Timberwolves wins on Wednesday.

Boston Celtics guard Derrick White | 34 points, three rebounds, two assists, three blocks

Without superstar Jayson Tatum for the remainder of the series, Boston needed someone to step up in a major way, and White answered the call.

He dropped a game-high 34 points and seven three-pointers to help Boston cruise to a 127-102 victory in an elimination game.

If he continues to produce at the rate he did on Wednesday, Boston has an excellent chance to come all way back from down 3-1 in the series.

Derrick White's 7th triple gives Boston their largest lead of the game!

Up 7 in the must-win Game 5 on TNT ☘️ pic.twitter.com/MhFeWcM2CY
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025

Boston Celtics center Luke Kornet | 10 points, nine rebounds, one assist, one steal, seven blocks

Kornet was the sixth-leading scorer for Boston in the game, but his impact defensively set the tone for the Celtics.

He logged a playoff-high 26 minutes and collected seven blocks, two more than he'd had in the entire postseason so far.

His 10 points and nine rebounds were also his best in the playoffs this year, and much like White, he played a pivotal role in Boston winning Game 5.

LUKE KORNET'S SEVENTH REJECTION OF THE GAME pic.twitter.com/9ugeEj4CMK
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025

Minnesota Timberwolves forward Julius Randle | 29 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists

After averaging 18.7 points per game in the regular season, Randle has now averaged 22.6 points per game in the first round and 25.6 points per game in the second round.

He scored 29 points on 13-of-18 shooting in Minnesota's series-clinching 121-110 win against the Golden State Warriors and outscored his teammate Anthony Edwards for the second consecutive game.

Randle has turned into a true No. 2 option for the Timberwolves, and that could be a real issue for either Oklahoma City or Denver in the Western Conference Finals.

JULIUS RANDLE UP & UNDER ‍

Timberwolves just 4 minutes away from reaching the WCF pic.twitter.com/0vUX4fh7zT
— NBA (@NBA) May 15, 2025

The eyes of the NBA world will turn toward Denver on Thursday night, as the Nuggets will look to defend home court and send their series against the Oklahoma City Thunder to a Game 7.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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