The Boston Celtics cruised to the Eastern Conference semifinals with a five-game first-round series win over the Miami Heat, and their best player in the series was Derrick White.
The veteran point guard played a key role in the Celtics' series-clinching Game 5 victory Wednesday with 25 points on 8-of-13 shooting (5-of-10 from 3-point range), as well as five rebounds, two assists and one steal in 29 minutes.
White averaged 22.4 points per game in the series, and he shot an impressive 57.7 percent from the field, 47.7 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free throw line.
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He also made some NBA playoff history by becoming just the sixth player to average at least 20 points per game on 55/45/90 shooting splits in a playoff series (minimum five games).
Here are the other five players who have accomplished that feat, per NBA Stats:
- James Harden, 2021 R1 vs BOS (27.8 PPG, 55.6/47.5/90.9)
- Kevin Durant, 2017 NBA Finals vs CLE (35.2 PPG, 55.6/47.4/92.7)
- Kyrie Irving, 2017 ECF vs BOS (25.8 PPG, 62.2/50.0/91.7)
- Allan Houston, 2001 R1 vs TOR (20.8 PPG, 59.4/54.5/100)
- Byron Scott, 1985 WCF vs DEN (23.4 PPG, 65.4/62.5/90.9)
White had a stellar regular season for the Celtics, averaging 15.2 points and shooting a career-high 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. But it's not just his scoring that is contributing to winning. His defense is elite, too, and he did a tremendous job shutting down Heat guard Tyler Herro in the first round.
The Celtics are the favorites to win the NBA Finals this spring, and if they're going to finally claim Banner 18 in June, they'll need White to keep playing a major role at both ends of the court.
The next step for the Celtics is in the second round, where they will play the winner of the Cavaliers-Magic series.