Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (L) scored 22 points in the first half of a win over the Miami Heat on Monday in Miami. Photo by C.J. Gunther/EPA-EFE
MIAMI, April 29 (UPI) — Derrick White could only shake his head in disbelief as he flicked his wrist and repeatedly sank shots for a 38-points effort, fueling a Boston Celtics win over the Miami Heat on Monday in Game 4 of their playoff series.
White made 15 of 26 shots, including eight 3 pointers, and scored 22 in the first half of the 102-88 triumph at the Kaseya Center. The Celtics, who lead the series 3-1, are now just one win from advancing to the Eastern Conference semifinals.
“I got a couple good looks early and my team did a great job of just finding me and empowering me to stay aggressive,” White, who reached his career-high scoring total, said at his postgame news conference.
Celtics defenders persistently pressured Heat ball handlers, deflecting dribbles and forcing turbulent shots. The Celtics, who trailed for just four seconds in the first quarter, used that disruption and White’s smooth shooting stroke to push their lead to as many as 28 points. Star forwards Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown chipped in 20 and 17 points, respectively.
“I thought our defense led to our offense and Derrick made some big plays for us,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said.
Center Kristaps Porzingis scored seven points before leaving the game in the first half because of a calf injury. He did not return. Mazzulla did not provide an update on Porzingis at his postgame news conference.
The Heat, who again played without injured star forward Jimmy Butler and guard Terry Rozier, made just 35.6% of their shots, including an abysmal 18.8% of their 3-pointers in the first half. They never recovered from the sluggish start.
White caught fire in the first quarter, making 6 of 8 shots en route to 16 points over the first 12 minutes. The Celtics used a 16-2 run in the first frame to carry a 34-24 edge into the second.
Heat shooters stayed cold, missing their next six shots. The Heat also went on a frigid stretch of missing 10-consecutive 3-pointers. The Celtics made nearly half of their deep shots through the first 24 minutes and led 53-36 at halftime.
They outscored the Heat 28-23 in the third to carry an 81-59 lead into the final frame. The Heat outscored the Celtics by eight over the final 12 minutes, but their deficit was too large to overcome.
Heat center Bam Adebayo totaled 25 points and 17 rebounds in the loss. Guards Tyler Herro and Caleb Martin chipped in 19 and 18 points, respectively, for the Heat.
Tatum totaled 11 rebounds and five assists, in addition to his 20 points. Celtics guard Jrue Holiday scored 11 points in the victory.
The top-seeded Celtics (3-1) will host the No. 8 Heat (1-3) in Game 5 at 7:30 p.m. EDT Wednesday at TD Garden in Boston. Game 6, if necessary, will be Friday in Miami.
“This series is about toughness and the next game,” Mazzulla said. “We did what we had to do and now we have to do it again.”
The winner of the Celtics-Heat series will face the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers or No. 5 Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals. That series is tied 2-2, with Game 5 scheduled for 8 p.m. Tuesday in Cleveland.
