Derrick White on C's blowing late leads: 'We've learned from every loss, we've learned from every win'

The Celtics wouldn't be a league-best 57-15 without learning something about themselves in each and every game despite the results.

On the heel of one of the worse defeats of the season, where Boston gave up a 30-point lead to the Atlanta Hawks Monday to get their nine-game win streak snapped, Jayson Tatum provided some insight the following night on the team's focus and the ultimate goal of winning a championship -- telling Shaquille O'Neal during TNT's Tuesday's Postgame show that the C's "mindset is where it needs to be."

Still, the question remains are the Celtics ready for not only a deep playoff run, but ready to take on the challenge of winning a championship to cap off being the best team in the NBA throughout the 2023-24 campaign.

Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, Derrick White says he's "not too worried about it," during his appearance on NBA TV when asked about what the loss to the Hawks meant to the Celtics this late in the season.

"Once an NBA team sees a ball go through the basket and get their confidence up -- they get paid for a reason -- they made the plays and credit to Atlanta," White explained to the NBA TV panel Thursday. "We've learn from every loss, and we've learned from every win, too. We've always just bounce back."

The Celtics, who remained in Atlanta following the loss, are set to face the Hawks once again tonight. In response to being asked about how the Celtics plan to galvanized or use Monday's collapse as a wake up call, White said that game has to be played from start to finish even when it appears that a victory is well in hand. 

"It's an 82-game season, it's a grind and we just got into a routine and a rhythm that it might be real easy," White explained. "Especially when you get up 30 early on and you just start thinking 'this game is over and we're on to the next one.' We kind of just took our foot off the gas there, especially at the end of the second quarter."

While if they've in fact learned from this type of loss after blowing a huge double-digit lead, remains to be seen with 10 games remaining in the regular season and the playoffs looming.

However, for whatever it's worth -- the Celtics are 12-2 this season following a loss, which also tops the league. Either way, a loss like they sustained against the Hawks (a potential first-round matchup for the second year in a row) could change a series at the very least in the postseason.

Whether they're concerned or not going forward, Boston and the Hawks tip-off once more from State Farm Arena tonight at 7:30 pm ET.

Joel Pavón

Follow @Joe1_CSP



Photo used courtesy of Getty Images