Derrick White's big night sends Celtics to 3-1 edge on Heat

(Field Level Media) Derrick White scored 38 points on 15-for-26 shooting, including 8-for-15 success from 3-point range, and the Boston Celtics cruised to a 102-88 win over the host Miami Heat last night.

Jayson Tatum added 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Celtics, who seized a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series. Jaylen Brown finished with 17 points.

White, a 29-year-old guard, produced a career-high point total -- regular season or postseason.

White said his coach, Joe Mazzulla, and his teammates empowered him.

"It starts with Joe," White said. "Ever since he took over, he's just given me the most confidence. I can talk to him, he can talk to me. That relationship is just getting better and better each day. It's amazing to play for him, and I love it.

"And then obviously the teammates.

We've got such great players on the team, but they allow me to do what I do and believe in me, and I think that's big."

Bam Adebayo led the Heat with 25 points, 17 rebounds and five assists. Tyler Herro contributed 19 points and Caleb Martin had 18 for Miami, which will try to stave off elimination in Game 5 of the series on Wednesday night in Boston.

The victory came with a potential injury cost for top-seeded Boston.

Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis injured his calf in the first half and did not return. Porzingis reportedly will undergo tests on Tuesday, but indications are that he did not sustain a significant Achilles tendon injury.

Mazzulla praised his team for the way it responded to playing without Porzingis.

"Everybody just stepped it up," he said. "... It's going to have to be from everybody."