Celtics Uplifting Teammate Amid Winning Streak: ‘That’s Our Job’

BOSTON — Derrick White needed a boost of encouragement coming off the All-Star break, and the Celtics had no problem assisting their teammate.

White revealed Saturday he struggled to find “joy” during an ice-cold slump entering the break. It wasn’t a concern for Boston’s locker room, however, it did prompt a response that’s now made the Celtics winners in their last five games, most recently over the New York Knicks on Sunday.

The Celtics leaned heavily on White to keep their Eastern Conference rival humbled for a third time this season. White had no issue doing so, scoring 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting with nine rebounds and seven assists.

“That’s our job as teammates is to keep him encouraged, keep his confidence high because we need him,” Tatum said after Boston’s 118-105 win. “Got to remind him every day. Not that he doesn’t know that. He knows how important he is for our team.”

Tatum added: “I remember that stretch and everyone felt for him. One, because he’s such a great person and obviously a great player, and what he means to our team. And see first-hand how hard guys work and how bad they want things to go the right way. It’s just not always the case. Eighty-two games, you might go through a slump where you’re not shooting the ball well or things aren’t clicking the way you’d like or hope.”

White connected on a handful of timely 3-pointers, finishing with a game-high five made. Those included a gut-puncher with 2:08 left to put Boston ahead, 118-97. It was a vintage performance from the version of White that made him an early All-Star candidate and a reminder of what the Celtics are at their best.

It’s a major turnaround from the slump White faced entering the new year. In December, White averaged just 14.7 points over 13 games, and in January that dropped to 14.3 points on 32.8% shooting from the floor — the worst White has shot through any month this season.

The cold stretch became even more noticeable since Boston went a mediocre 10-6 last month, prompting concerns to loom around the title defenders. Both White and the Celtics battled their uncharacteristic play and the results have spoken for themselves amid the win streak.

In each of Boston’s five consecutive wins, the Celtics have defeated opponents by double figures.

“I think over the course, things may get away from you or you just might think things are not going in your direction or the way you planned and that can be discouraging,” Jaylen Brown said. “I just try to encourage our guys to be aggressive and to be who they are. … Throughout the regular season, you gotta encourage everybody to be aggressive because you want everybody feeling good when it’s the playoffs.”

White was a critical ingredient to the team’s championship formula last season, supplying the Celtics with an efficient two-way playstyle that made the veteran guard lethal defensively and from 3-point range. Perhaps getting him white-hot moving forward is what’ll spark the team to break out for the first time this season.