NBA FINALS: CELTICS VS. MAVERICKS

June 9, 2024

Derrick White

Boston Celtics

Game 2: Postgame

Boston Celtics 105, Dallas Mavericks 98

Q. Derrick, can you just walk us through that chase-down block that you and Jaylen combined on in the last minute?

DERRICK WHITE: Yeah, just sprinting back, trying to make a play. Obviously they were making a little run there and whatever means necessary, just sprint back and meet him at the rim.

Q. As we have seen you make these plays over and over, what's your process, what kind of things, what keys are you looking for, how do you make sure your timing is right? Is there a point where you realize you might have to abandon the play? What's like the step by step for you?

DERRICK WHITE: I mean, I think my first three steps is really important. Just kind of put my head down and run. Then at that time just trust the instincts and trust the timing that I have. So, just putting my head down and sprinting just as fast as I can just to get in position and go up and make a play.

Q. Five fouls combined in the first quarter in Game 1, 13 here in Game 2. How does this group respond to increased physicality and where do you fit in to that?

DERRICK WHITE: Every game is different. Every game is officiated a little differently. So whatever it takes you just got to make adjustments. I think both teams are just trying to figure it out, especially early, and then I just competing at a high level.

Q. Joe called Payton Pritchard's shot the play of the game tonight. As a teammate, what is it like to see him check in the game, hit that shot and then go crazy celebrating the way that he did?

DERRICK WHITE: That's what Payton Pritchard does. If you watch us late clock, he doesn't shy away from that moment. That was a big-time shot, kind of got us momentum. You just love Payton. You love competing with him. It was a big-time shot.

Q. Jrue Holiday obviously had the big game, basically just playing off of you guys and being in the right spots. You guys seem to have gelled really well with Jrue, with KP, like that's two big additions this offseason, you seem to have gelled from the start of the year. Was there a moment in time throughout the season where you really noticed that your guys' chemistry kicked up a notch, or was it just like instant from the jump like, yeah, this is it?

DERRICK WHITE: I think a lot of credit just goes to the type of people they are. They have done so much. I can't begin to talk about how thankful and grateful I am for Jrue just kind of allowing me to kind of take that next step. He could easily have came in and be, like, I'm Jrue Holiday, and I'm like, You are Jrue Holiday, a hundred percent (laughing). But he kind of just did a little different than what he's done the last few years and just each game getting more comfortable. KP, the same way. Just love being teammates with both of them.

Q. Just on your depth in the series, how do you feel that has played in kind of perhaps wearing down Luka and Kyrie a little bit later in the game, what you were able to do against them on both ends, multiple looks? Have you seen that play and how key was your depth tonight?

DERRICK WHITE: Yeah, the whole year the strength of this team has been one through however many guys we got. We trust whoever goes in the game and those guys just work so hard. Every time anybody checks in the game, they just give us great minutes. So we trust everybody, and everybody is making big plays for us.

Q. You're an "awe shucks" kind of guy, but when someone is running the break and you're -- but you do chase-downs, do you say to yourself, I got this dude, like I'm -- what do you think when you're running full speed? Because you've had too many not to think, like, I can't believe this dude's going to try this on me. Like, there's got to be an arrogance there to a certain extent.

DERRICK WHITE: Yeah, that's why I got dunked on earlier. But it's part of the game. I think just that not afraid to get dunked on allows me to get some that maybe some other people wouldn't have gotten. So just trying to make a play, just believing in my abilities and what I can do.

Q. Derrick, a bunch of you guys got here two years ago. Obviously, we all know that. Jrue got here three years ago and his team won it all. What type of weight or clout or whatever or validation does that bring to his words when he's added to this group?

DERRICK WHITE: I mean, that experience, that just championship DNA, which you hear all about all the time. You don't really know what it takes until you do what it takes. Just the moment he came to our team in training camp, he kind of just had that presence about him. He just knows how to win.