For a moment, it looked like the Celtics would have to close their NBA Finals series against the Mavericks without Derrick White.
In the second quarter of Game 5, White went to make a hustle play and dove on the ground for a loose ball. Mavericks center Dereck Lively II fell on top of him, making it look more like a scrum for a loose football.
White came up with blood all over his mouth and play stopped to get Boston guard cleaned up. Here’s how the situation played out.
LIVE: Celtics host Mavericks for Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals
What happened to Derrick White’s tooth?
White and Lively both dove for a loose ball when Lively fell on top of White’s head. White’s face smacked against the ground and he came up bleeding from his mouth.
pic.twitter.com/AzULA9BQlG
— Gonzalo Vázquez (@GVazquezNY) June 18, 2024
Sam Hauser went to the scorer’s table assuming White would need a sub but the guard decided to tough it out.
After halftime, the camera revealed White had a chipped tooth.
Derrick White’s tooth 🦷 pic.twitter.com/stsiLpOeVF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) June 18, 2024
Jaylen Brown had jokes for his teammate that were caught on the broadcast because he was mic’d up for Game 5.
Jaylen Brown to Derrick White:
“Ooooh, you sure is ugly” 😭 pic.twitter.com/SIv0VnvvHF
— NBA TV (@NBATV) June 18, 2024
White continued to make an impact on both ends of the floor. He had 11 points, seven rebounds and three 3-pointers going into the fourth quarter while bringing his typical defensive intensity.
