Derrick White on living at the crossroads of fun and intensity: ‘That’s when I’m at my best’

Halfway through the first quarter of Game 5, Derrick White drove through the Miami Heat’s defense and threw down a one-handed slam.

As he was backtracking toward the Boston Celtics bench, he stared at his hand, almost as if he was in awe of what he had just done.

Boston’s bench loved it, surrounding White with cheers and propping him up. He was in the midst of a 15-point first quarter and on the heels of a 38-point masterclass in Game 4.

White brought out a celebration earlier this series, too. In Game 3, White splashed a triple from the top of the arc and pulled three fingers out of his pocket.

With Kristaps Porzingis sidelined — and even prior to his absence — White has been the X-factor for the Celtics. His scoring punch and ability to push the pace have driven Boston’s offensive attack. But no matter the situation, the sheer joy he plays with spills out onto the court.

“For me personally, that’s when I’m at my best—when I’m having fun out there,” White said after Game 5. “Just having fun with my teammates, wherever it might be. Whether I’m supporting them or they’re supporting me. Just out there having fun, just messing around, but also realizing this is a big moment we’re all locked into.”

At this point in the year, every game is the biggest game of the season. Yet White and the Celtics are still finding the balance between fun and intensity.

Al Horford found himself at the center of those two principles with just over five minutes to go in the second quarter.

He had just grabbed an offensive rebound and was on track for a second before Caleb Martin fouled him. The veteran got pumped up in front of the Celtics bench, pointing to the ground to let everyone know that the court belonged to him.

“Al kind of sets the temperature for us with his ability to impact the game basketball-wise, but like you said, also was his personality,” Joe Mazzulla said. “His aggressiveness. So, he set the table for us. He set the tone for us. And everybody followed suit.”

On the back of their elimination in the Eastern Conference Finals last year—and at the hands of this very Heat team—the Celtics shook up their roster last offseason.

They brought in Kristaps Porzingis. They brought in Jrue Holiday. They brought in assistant coaches Sam Cassell and Charles Lee. They brought in a new bench group.

A few core pieces remained, but this was a different team.

As the season went on, greatness followed. A 64-win regular season saw the Celtics reach historic peaks, and they learned to trust each other.

“The more you’re around each other, the more you have the conversations on how you want to do things,” Mazzulla said. “You are going to develop that sense of trust. But I think it starts with the guys. The trust they have in each other, the way they communicate. The way they prepare is super important.”

Now, the Celtics know their goals stretch well beyond the regular season. Well beyond the significance of a first-round series victory. Even one against the Heat, who have been a thorn in their side for nearly a decade.

While the pressure of the moment builds and the city’s expectations continue to rise, the Celtics’ focus persists. They don’t plan on changing the way they do things, and having fun is a part of that. But so is intense, hard-nosed basketball.

Photo by Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images

Less than three minutes into the game, Jrue Holiday flung himself into the stands while chasing a loose ball. He chucked as high as he could, and Jaylen Brown did his best Randy Moss impression, stealing it away from two Miami players mid-air. Brown then drove down the lane and finished a layup around Bam Adebayo.

From the jump, it was painfully obvious how badly the Celtics wanted this game.

“The world we live in, there’s going to be something wrong with every team,” said Jayson Tatum. “That’s what they like to say. And you can see how talented we are, and I think it’s lazy, or easy to say, that teams can ‘out-tough’ us. I’ve never understood that. Like, what’s the definition of tough? Having the louder guys on your team? Like that s*** don’t make you tough.

“Everybody has their own definition of what toughness is. Playing the right way, showing up every day to do your job without complaining. I think that’s being tough.”

Is intensity toughness? Is Holiday diving into the crowd to chase a loose ball toughness? Is Brown fighting off two Heat players in the air for a ball toughness? Is Horford battling on the glass, drawing a foul, and pumping up his teammates toughness?

The Celtics are having fun. But they aren’t taking this playoff run lightly.