Derrick White sparks fourth-quarter explosion in Celtics’ win over Miami.
The Celtics and Heat (15-13) went back and forth for three quarters on Friday night at TD Garden, setting up a tough, hard-fought finish.But in the fourth quarter, Boston took over.
A burst of three-pointers early in the fourth quarter turned a 58-58 halftime tie into a comfortable 129-116 win.
The victory ended Boston’s two-game losing streak and improved their record to 16-11 overall.
Here are five key takeaways.
1. White’s Heater Changes Everything
Derrick White made the biggest difference in the game.
White scored 33 points and tied his career-high with nine three-pointers, many of them coming in the crucial fourth quarter.
When he plays with this much confidence, Boston’s offense is basically impossible to stop.
White also had 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 4 blocks, putting his ability to play a complete game on full display.
After a slow start to the season, he’s looked more like the player Boston has relied on since arriving in 2022 to make a difference as the games start to really count come late April.
2. Fourth Quarter Knockout Punch
The Celtics did what Anthony Joshua was unable to do in front of an international Netflix audience on Friday night.
For most of the game, neither team could build a big lead. That changed at the beginning of the fourth quarter.
Boston made 10 three-pointers in the final frame, outscoring Miami 37-27 and energizing a TD Garden crowd that included a suite of Patriots players, Red Sox star Roman Anthony and Celtics legend Isaiah Thomas.
Miami’s head coach Erik Spoelstra called three timeouts to slow things down, but it was too little, too late.
The Celtics went 21 for 43 from three, taking advantage of a tired Heat team playing on back-to-back nights - they beat the Nets 106-95 on Thursday.
3. Bench Showed Up Big
While the stars led the offense, Boston also got important contributions from players up and down the roster.
Rookie Hugo Gonzalez continued to improve, finishing with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 steals while bringing energy on both ends of the floor. He still needs to work on avoiding fouls, but his confidence and effort are clear.
Sam Hauser’s performance was just as important, both for his impact on Friday’s win as well as the team’s outlook moving forward.
After leaving Monday’s game early with a sprained ankle, he returned to make 5 of 6 three-pointers for 15 points.
That’s key for a team that relies on good spacing. That type of night for Hauser will go an incredibly long way for Boston come playoffs.
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4. Rebounding Remains An Unresolved Issue
Even though the Celtics won easily, their problems with rebounding came up yet again.
Miami pulled down 17 offensive rebounds, turning them into a 24-11 advantage on second-chance points.
Kel’el Ware and Bam Adebayo kept attacking the paint - Ware finished with 24 points and 14 rebounds, and Adebayo finished with 16 points and 10 boards.
It didn’t matter on Friday because Boston was shooting so well. But against teams that aren’t as tired, or on nights when Boston’s shots aren’t falling, this is still a weakness they need to address.
5. Jaylen Bleeping Brown
Another 30-point night from the Celtics’ MVP candidate has him leading the Eastern Conference in 30-point games this season.
It might have been White’s marquee night, but Brown continues to look incredible in the absence of Jayson Tatum.
If Tatum can effectively make his way back this season, Boston is going to be very dangerous in a wide-open Eastern Conference.
Celtics now head to Toronto (17-11) for the second game of a back-to-back, carrying momentum and a reminder that when their shooting heats up, few teams can keep up.
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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.