Joe Mazzulla Tabs Surprise Player Who Put Celtics ‘On His Back’ In Game 1 Win

Derrick White was front and center for the Boston Celtics in their 103-86 Game 1 win over the Orlando Magic on Sunday at TD Garden.

White exploded for a team-high 30 points as he made 10-of-18 shots from the field and sank 7-of-12 3-pointers to carry the offensive load with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combining for 33 points.

White certainly rose to the occasion for the defending champs, but Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla felt someone else “put the team on his back” in the opening contest of the first round playoff series.

Mazzulla pointed to Jrue Holiday and the difference the savvy guard made on both ends of the floor in a pivotal third quarter for the Celtics. Holiday had a hand in seven of Boston’s 10 made baskets in the quarter, helping turn a one-point halftime deficit for the Celtics into a double-digit lead that they never came close to surrendering.

“He’s an innate competitor, and sometimes he takes a back seat because of the type of guys that we have,” Mazzulla said, per the Boston Herald’s Zack Cox. “I thought tonight, he put the team on his back from that passion and emotion standpoint, and that’s why Jrue Holiday is Jrue Holiday. So we’re lucky to have him. We’re going to need that every single night. But we do feed off his physicality and his presence.”

Holiday put the pesky, seventh-seeded Magic back in their place as he came to life in the third quarter following a scoreless first half.

Holiday netted all nine of his points in the frame and assisted on four other baskets to get the Celtics rolling. The 34-year-old, who was integral to Boston’s run to a title a year ago, swished two 3-pointers in transition and added a third triple off an offensive rebound.

But it was the second transition trey that encapsulated the type of impact he had. Holiday, who registered three steals in the win, pressured Franz Wagner into dribbling the ball off his own foot around midcourt before Holiday picked the ball up, took a couple of dribbles and pulled up from beyond the arc to give Boston a 63-53 lead with 7:30 left in the third quarter.

“I think I just take whatever opportunity comes to me, whatever that might be,” Holiday told reporters, per CLNS Media. “I think we have enough talent on this team where I don’t necessary take it upon myself, but I think everybody has kind of that mentality, where if I get a chance, I’m going to do whatever I can to carry the load. For me tonight, it was defensively and trying to hound the ball and hopefully I continue to do that.”