Why is Derrick White not playing tonight vs. Hawks? Latest update on Celtics guard's early scratch from the game
The Boston Celtics will miss out on Derrick White's service tonight as they face the Atlanta Hawks. The two-way guard is listed in the injury report for the team as out due to a hand injury that he suffered a few days ago. White is coming off an impressive stretch of games that earned him a Player of the Week award.
White has taken over an important role for the Celtics this season and his presence is much needed in most situations for the team. Both his offense and defense have been valuable for the team, as fans even wanted him to make his first All-Star game this season.
So far this season, one of his most valuable traits, aside from his play on the court, has been his availability. Tonight's game will just be his sixth of the season, which shows how impressive he's taken care of his body.
The Celtics are looking a bit thin at the backcourt section since White isn't the only player who'll miss out on tonight's game. Jrue Holiday will also be out with a right AC joint sprain. The team's starting backcourt has been phenomenal, and not having them both at the same time could hurt their chances of winning.
Xavier Tillman will also miss tonight's game as he's dealing with left knee swelling.
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What happened to Derrick White?
Derrick White will miss out on tonight's action with a sprained hand. The injury isn't major and fans can expect him to return to action as soon as he gets better. The last time White was out, he dealt with a hand injury. The defensive guard missed out on their game against the Washington Wizards. Fortunately for the Celtics, he was immediately available the next game and played 36 minutes against the Detroit Pistons.
With that pattern, there's a chance that White could be available for their back-to-back game against the Hawks on March 28. However, there hasn't been any confirmation of his return and things could change.
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Looking at Derrick White's stats vs. the Hawks
Throughout his career, White has performed well against the Hawks. As a role player, he's put up decent numbers against the team and has consistently played a team brand of basketball.
This season, the Celtics have a four-game season series with the Hawks. They've already played them twice early in the season and White has averaged 18 points, nine assists and nine rebounds.
In his career, White's best game against Atlanta happened on April 1, 2021. He had 29 points and shot the three-ball extremely well, 7-13.