BOSTON — The Celtics were stuck in the mud through the first half, only to wake up in the third quarter. The C’s beat the Heat 98-96 on Friday at TD Garden, erasing a 22-point deficit to complete the comeback victory.
While he didn’t have the best shooting night, Derrick White still came up big in the clutch moments, making him Friday’s “Name to Know” Player of the Game. The Name to Know Player of the Game is sponsored by John’s Sewer and Drain Cleaning, the Name to Know when your drains don’t flow.
White finished with 21 points, three rebounds, five assists and four blocks Friday. He shot 6-for-20 on the night, but he scored 17 of his points in the second half. Just as he’s done in Boston multiple times, White came up big during the final moments of the game.
The Celtics couldn’t hit a 3-pointer Friday as they started 1-for-21 from behind the arc. It was a huge reason why they lagged behind the Heat for most of the night. But they dominated the third quarter, outscoring Miami 36-15 to erase their 21-point halftime deficit.
It was an impressive victory considering the Celtics couldn’t do much right in the first half. Jaylen Brown paced the C’s early even if he wasn’t all that efficient overall, scoring 29 points on the night. Payton Pritchard also had a huge second half, finishing with 24 points off the bench.
Nikola Vucevic also made his Celtics debut, finishing with 11 points and 12 rebounds for the double-double. It’s clear even now he’ll fit in well offensively with Boston, though there were some defensive struggles. Regardless, it was the first game with Vucevic, so the team will look to incorporate him more going forward.