Celtics-Mavericks Notebook: Derrick White leads the way after Joe Mazzulla said ‘I love you’, Kristaps Porzingis is 92.7% back

DALLAS, TEXAS — The Celtics bounced again in a giant manner on Saturday, racking up a 122-107 win over the Luka Doncic-less Dallas Mavericks in an NBA Finals rematch. The win helped them end their Western Convention highway journey with a 3-1 report, and propelled them to 32-14 on the season, good for third-best within the league.

After the sport, head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed real shock that the Celtics had solely dropped back-to-back video games twice all season.

“For us on the within, we’re simply collectively,” Mazzulla mentioned. “We have now an understanding of what the usual is, and we don’t actually get too labored up once we lose. We have now an understanding of why we did it. We’re pissed off. After which we win, you continue to say, ‘hey, there’s 10-15 possessions that we’ve got to get higher. So, I believe the connectivity of the group — and the stability of the group — is actually necessary.”

The Cs seemed to be vulnerable to dropping consecutive video games after falling behind 19-10 early on to an lively Mavericks crew with an enthused dwelling crowd behind them. However, they closed the quarter with a 4-point lead and by no means regarded again.

Then, within the third quarter, Derrick White took over, and the Celtics cruised to a 15-point win.

Listed here are 4 observations from a Saturday evening victory, from on-the-ground in Dallas.

Derrick White breaks by way of after Joe Mazzulla instructed him he loves him

No basketball participant is ever single-handedly chargeable for a victory.

However, after the Celtics noticed a 10-point halftime lead dwindle to 4 factors after Klay Thompson and Spencer Dinwiddie every hit three-pointers within the opening minute of the second half, White caught fireplace and helped the Celtics regain full management.

After struggling offensively over the previous six weeks, he exploded for 16 factors to open the second half, capturing 6-9 from the sector and 3-5 from three, whereas additionally grabbing two offensive rebounds. He in the end completed the evening with 23 factors — his highest scoring output since Jan. 3 — and dished out 4 assists.

“The entire crew was behind me, supporting me,” White mentioned. “[Assistant coach] Phil [Pressey] mentioned it simply takes one to get sizzling — it simply sort of occurs.”

It initially appeared that White was destined for one more irritating offensive efficiency. He started the sport 0-4 from the sector — and was visibly bothered — when Mazzulla delivered a easy message to him:

“I really like you.”

That’s what White relayed to reporters when requested what the third-year head coach instructed him amidst his early-game struggles.

These three phrases have been sufficient.

There’s unequivocal consensus within the Celtics locker room {that a} extra aggressive Derrick White is nice information for Boston.

“It’s massive for our crew,” mentioned Jaylen Brown, who completed the sport with 22 factors, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. “I’m all the time pushing D-White to be aggressive, as a result of him being aggressive, on each offense and protection, is a good signal for our crew. It simply makes him a menace. It makes the whole lot sort of movement simpler for us.”

Getting into Saturday, White had scored 8 factors or much less in 5 of his final 8 video games, a big decline from his 18-point scoring common in November.

“He hasn’t gotten the identical quantity of appears, or he hasn’t been as assured lately,” Brown mentioned. “At this time was an excellent signal, and we gotta hold constructing on that going ahead.”

White attributed his latest scoring dip to “a number of elements,” together with Kristaps Porzingis coming back from harm. By means of 20 video games, Porzingis has tried 13.5 photographs per recreation — the third-most on the Celtics.

“Clearly, KP comes again, it sort of adjustments some issues, but additionally, I’ve shot it like crap,” White mentioned. “So these two factors come collectively, and also you don’t rating very many factors. So, simply received to proceed to do what I must do to get ready, and simply know that it’s going to show and attempt to make photographs round once I’m large open. That’s simply what I did at present.”

Porzingis has routinely showered White with reward since he first arrived in Boston final fall, and famous postgame how totally different the Celtics are when White finds his groove on offense.

“D-White is so good, perhaps he misplaced a little bit little bit of rhythm, which may occur,” Porzingis mentioned. “At this time we noticed a few threes that he hit, and it’s all the time good to see that. We’re a special beast when D-White will get going, and begins hitting floaters, threes, deep nook threes. He’s hit so many daggers for us — that carry us to a different degree.”

For Mazzulla, it was rewarding attending to see his place to begin guard lastly discover a rhythm.

“I really like watching him do this,” mentioned Mazzulla. “It’s nice watching his teammates empower him, too — as a result of they know that we’d like him.”

And, it wasn’t simply White who discovered a much-needed rhythm. Jrue Vacation scored 17 factors — his highest-scoring recreation in almost three weeks — and hit 5 of 10 three-pointers, his many of the season. Towards the Mavericks, the Celtics’ beginning backcourt mixed for 40 factors; two nights earlier towards the Lakers, their mixed scoring output was simply 6 factors.

Kristaps Porzingis thrives in return to Dallas — at a self-proclaimed 92.7%

For the primary time since he was traded from the Mavericks to the Wizards in 2022, Kristaps Porzingis suited as much as play in American Airways Middle. He had missed the earlier two common season match-ups in Dallas, one as a member of the Celtics and one on the Wizards — and was injured for Video games 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals.

However the wait was price it, and Porzingis excelled in his much-anticipated first recreation again, recording 18 factors on 6-12 capturing, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and a couple of blocks.

“At all times a pleasant ambiance right here — have some good recollections from right here, and never good — nice — relationships with many individuals,” Porzingis mentioned after the sport. “I miss a number of these good folks. It’s all the time good to return again.”

All through the evening, Porzingis caught up with crew personnel and enviornment employees, allotting hugs and fist bumps.

After the win, Porzingis was requested about how he’s coming alongside, each bodily and so far as his rhythm goes. On Jan. 7, after a win over the Nuggets, he put himself at round 80%.

On Saturday, he confirmed he’s persevering with to get nearer to 100%. However, he famous that bodily, he’s not fully there — and put himself at 92.7% again.

“Rhythm, fairly shut. Bodily, not good but,” Porzingis mentioned.

“Because the season will go, I consider I’ll get even higher. However, positively having a pleasant stretch now of fine basketball.”

In January, Porzingis is averaging 19.5 factors per recreation on 49.1% capturing. He’s additionally capturing a team-high 47.3% from three.

The Celtics proceed to showcase they’re the kings of bouncing again

After almost each loss this season, the Celtics’ outward confidence hasn’t wavered.

On Thursday, after a foul loss to the Lakers, Porzingis merely mentioned he wasn’t fearful, and that he knew the Celtics would reply. Brown has repeatedly mentioned he was having fun with the method of getting to combat by way of adversity and stick collectively as a crew.

Mazzulla has merely famous that the Celtics know the place they’ve to enhance — win or lose.

White acknowledged after the sport that groups are guarding the Celtics otherwise this season — and that groups spent the offseason making ready to beat Boston.

“Everyone’s watching all of your playoff video games and making an attempt to determine other ways to sluggish us down,” White mentioned. “I simply suppose it’s all a part of the method.”

After the win, Brown was requested what’s given him confidence within the crew regardless of some troublesome losses.

“Simply life,” he mentioned. “Certainly one of my favourite quotes is, ‘winter all the time turns to spring, it doesn’t matter what.’ So, when issues will not be going your manner, simply keep the course. The tide will flip.”

“We’ve had sufficient expertise to know what that appears like, so can’t complain when it’s not going your manner,” he continued. “You simply received to have extra element, be extra centered, embrace it, after which prepare for it to modify the flip.”

Porzingis echoed Brown’s confidence after the win, whereas additionally noting that the Celtics’ consistency hasn’t fairly been there.

“We’re positively working in the direction of getting our killer intuition again,” Porzingis mentioned. “We need to have that — some moments we’ve regarded actually good, some moments not so good, some moments we’ve cruised a little bit bit, it’s sort of been a mixture of the whole lot. I believe it’s necessary for us to maintain including to what we’ve got in these sorts of video games, to maintain including, to maintain making steps ahead, to maintain pushing one another, hold holding one another accountable. We have now nice help round us — the teaching employees and everyone. Simply need to hold making steps ahead as a crew. I believe it’s taking place. I believe it’s taking place. Simply persistence, and never overreacting to each little bump on the highway.”

It’s noteworthy that regardless of the Celtics’ inconsistent play in latest weeks, they’re 32-14 on the season — solely three video games behind the place they have been final yr at the moment.

Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman each have household in attendance

Walsh, a Dallas native, had loads of household on the American Airways Middle — together with his mother and father, godparents, and girlfriend. He solely received a minute and a half of motion, nevertheless it was his first time checking right into a recreation in Dallas. (He was with the crew final yr, however didn’t see the ground). After the sport, Derrick White urged Walsh to eat his postgame meal rapidly as a result of he knew he had a number of folks ready for him.

Baylor Scheierman, who’s from Nebraska, additionally had each of his mother and father on the town for the sport. It was his dad’s first time at a Celtics recreation since he was drafted in June, and his mother’s first time at a Celtics recreation since Opening Evening.