Derrick White said reading the flow of the game remained his focus after the Boston Celtics fell 111-89 to the New York Knicks on Sunday at TD Garden, a loss that snapped a five-game winning streak between two Eastern Conference contenders.
The veteran guard scored 19 points, but Boston shot just 37% overall and 7-of-41 from three-point range as New York never trailed over the final 42 minutes. “I mean sometimes, but I just try to read the game,” White said when asked about taking on more scoring responsibility. “Each game’s a little different and just try to make the right read and make the right pass.”
White emphasized trust in the offense despite the cold shooting night. “We got a lot of faith and trust in all our guys and so just kind of trust the process and we keep getting good looks and believe it’s going to fall,” he said.
Boston entered the matchup one game ahead of New York for second place in the conference standings, but the Knicks used a 20-7 run late in the third quarter to create an 85-68 lead entering the fourth. Jalen Brunson finished with 31 points, while Josh Hart added 19 and Karl-Anthony Towns posted 11 points and 10 rebounds.
The Celtics have adjusted rotations following roster changes, including moving Payton Pritchard to the bench and integrating newly acquired Nikola Vucevic. “Yeah, playing a little different,” White said. “Obviously got some new guys, new spots, and so I want to say we’re as crisp as we were maybe a few weeks ago.”
White described the current stretch as a learning phase rather than a reset. “I think it’s exciting that we can continue to learn and grow,” he said. “We got a lot of guys that know how to play… I think it’ll be a quick little we’ll pick it up quickly.”
Head coach Joe Mazzulla has introduced different game scenarios during preparation, and White noted the balance between structure and instinct. “You want to break down those scenarios but you also want to kind of be free and not think out there and just kind of react,” he said. “We’re two, three games in, it’s nothing to really be worried about.”
The guard also shared his early impressions of Vucevic’s role in the offense. “It’s been great,” White said. “I’ve always had a lot of respect for him… just welcome him with open arms and try to help any way I can.”
Boston’s offense struggled to keep pace, finishing with 89 points despite Jaylen Brown’s 26-point effort and Baylor Scheierman’s 10 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists. White acknowledged the ongoing process of finding rhythm with new lineups and defensive coverages.
“We just got to understand it’s going to take day by day and get guys comfortable,” he said. “Just kind of react and figure it out on the fly.”
The Knicks will host Indiana next, while the Celtics return home Wednesday to face Chicago before the teams meet again April 9 in New York.
