BOSTON – Derrick White’s “sick plays” helped the Boston Celtics beat the Miami Heat 119-111 at TD Garden on Friday, while National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft top pick Victor Wembanyama starred in his first win for the San Antonio Spurs.
While the Celtics had all five starters in double figures as they won their home opener in a rematch of last season’s Eastern Conference championship series, it was White who stood out.
The guard poured in 28 points, of which five were three-pointers, and had three crucial blocks, including one where he chased down Jimmy Butler to stop him from a dunk attempt with just over four minutes left.
“The plays he made tonight were sick. They were just sick plays. It’s the only way you can describe it,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla.
Jayson Tatum added of his teammate: “The talent has always been there. He’s just starting to show more emotion... I try to tell him to always be aggressive, don’t just look for me.”
For White, he was just delighted to beat a Heat team who secured a place in the NBA Finals with a Game 7 triumph at Boston.
“Any time you’re on home court, you want to protect the home court and obviously, last time we played them here, they came out winning,” said White., who also felt that it was time he stepped out of the shadows of his peers.
“It’s always a big game every time we play against them and we’re going to see them down the line a lot of times. So it’s always fun.
“I’ve been here a couple of years and I know where the guys are supposed to be at. I’m just trying to get people in the right spots and lead from that way.”
Miami trailed by just three points with 47.1 seconds left when Butler was called for a foul on White, which was unsuccessfully challenged by furious Miami coach Erik Spoelstra.
White then drained his two free throws and, when Tyler Herro missed a three-point jumper and Brown sank his from nine metres out, Miami’s resistance was finally over.
Jaylen Brown contributed 27 points and Tatum scored 22 in a strong all-around display from Boston, while Herro had 28 points and Bam Adebayo added 27 points and seven rebounds for the Heat. Butler finished with 14 points on three-of-11 shooting.
Two other NBA stars had huge nights.
Luka Doncic capped a 49-point performance by hitting a tiebreaking three-pointer with 26.1 seconds left, as the hosts Dallas Mavericks executed down the stretch of a 125-120 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
The four-time All-Star hit four of his nine treys in the final 2:59 and scored 14 of the Mavericks’ final 17 points.
Stephen Curry, meanwhile, finished with a game-high 41 points, with his four-point play highlighting a third-quarter run that sent the visiting Golden State Warriors to a 122-114 victory over the Sacramento Kings in the rematch of the clubs’ first-round play-off series in April.
Over at the Frost Bank Centre, Frenchman Wembanyama turned on the style in San Antonio’s 126-122 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets.
The 2.24m teenager starred with 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his first career double-double, with three blocked shots and two steals.
“It’s just a victory, but it’s a day I’ll remember. I really love winning. This is what I love most in life. Of course, it feels great,” he said.
The Spurs trailed by two with 32.1 seconds remaining when the 19-year-old grabbed a defensive rebound and tied the game on a driving lay-up with 20 seconds left.
His 16-metre jumper put his team ahead in overtime and he grabbed four total rebounds in the additional period.
“I’m proud of what we did tonight. We can see where we can get better. A win is a win, but it shows that we got a lot of way to go as a team,” he said.
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was impressed by the youngster’s impact in his second NBA start, despite “Wemby” going only two of 10 from the floor in the first half.
“He’s a competitor, of course. He’s going to be decisive and do everything to win. But they’re all like that. We showed some composure and some not so composed. That’s work in progress. Good was they were persistent,” he said.
Wembanyama finished the night with seven-of-19 shooting from the floor, grabbing five offensive and seven defensive rebounds.
“Back in the locker room, Pop acknowledged it was my first-ever NBA win, just made me proud of myself. But it’s just one. We have a whole lot of games to come,” Wembanyama said.
His three dunks brought the arena fans to their feet, but he received plenty of verbal attention from Popovich in the final minute of the game.
“Because, I forgot a play. It’s a little mistake – 100 per cent legit for him to yell at me. I apologise,” said Wembanyama.
Devin Vassell scored 25 points, Keldon Johnson poured in 20 points, while Jeremy Sochan and Cedi Osman finished with 14 points each for San Antonio.
Alperen Sengun led the Rockets with 25 points and 14 rebounds. Fred VanVleet added 24 points, Jalen Green scored 22 and Dillon Brooks 17. AFP, REUTERS
