Derrick White saves Celtics season with legend-making shot | Vautour

Joe Mazzulla should buy Derrick White a car. The Celtics’ disorganized offense down the stretch nearly cost them the game and a loss might have cost Mazzulla his job.

Jayson Tatum should foot the bill for a nice vacation for White and his family after the season. Europe? The Carribean? Hawaii? Anywhere he likes. Tatum would have spent the offseason hearing about his fourth-quarter fade in Game 6 if White didn’t put back an offensive rebound before the buzzer to beat Miami, 104-103 to force Game 7 on Monday.

Al Horford should pick White out a nice Swiss watch or maybe an Italian suit. Something fancy for negating the veteran big man’s bad foul that allowed Jimmy Butler to put the Heat up with three free throws with 3 seconds left.

And Wyc Grousbeck should write a beefy check to the charity of White’s choice. His shot earned the Celtics, and for that matter the city of Boston, another lucrative gameday.

And fans of basketball around the world should simply give White a thank you. Not only did he author a terrific finish to a rock fight of a game, he set up one of the most anticipated Game 7s in NBA history and one the most compelling playoff games ever outside of the finals.

If the Celtics go on to win a championship, White’s shot will be immortal. Almost on iconic par with Dave Roberts’ stolen base or Adam Vinatieri’s snow kick and right there with John Havlicek stealing the ball.

It was both fitting and unfathomable that White was the Celtics’ hero. His six fourth-quarter points, on two 3-pointers, were huge to keep the floundering offense afloat. Still, he had just nine points in the game and wasn’t expected to even touch the ball after inbounding it. But the quietest man among the Boston regulars just made the loudest shot of the 2022-23 NBA season.

By this point, anyone with internet access knows that 150 teams have taken 3-0 leads in the NBA Playoffs and 150 of them have advanced. Before Saturday, only three who had been down 3-0 had ever even made it to Game 7. None of those ever hosted Game 7. The Celtics are trying to make history.

Game 7s are exciting and anticipated in any scenario. When a best-of-seven becomes best-of-one, every moment is magnified. If the game is competitive, Monday will have the excitement of the ninth inning of a perfect game from tip to horn. There aren’t many opportunities anymore to potentially witness something that’s never happened before especially for the Celtics.

None of this happens without Derrick White.

But the Celtics have to keep winning. If the 2004 Red Sox lost Game 5, 6 or 7 of the ALCS, Dave Roberts is forgotten. If banner No. 18 goes up at TD Garden, pictures of White’s Miami miracle will adorn the walls of sports bars all over New England long after his career his over. If they lose Game 7 on Monday, it’ll be a footnote.

After the game, White was happy to let other people think about the big picture. Neither history nor legacy was on his mind.

“Season was on the line,” he said. “We don’t want to go home, and so I was just happy we got the win.”

Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.

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