Celtics guard Derrick White chipped a tooth after a brutal collision with Dallas’ Dereck Lively II in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
In the second quarter of Monday night’s closeout game in Boston, White dove for a loose ball and nearly suffered a horrific injury. As White faced forward to retrieve the rock, Lively planted his weight on him after losing the race against the ball.
Lively’s forearm landed on the back of White’s head, slamming his face into the hardwood.
Shocked, White walked back to the couch with blood on his hand and mouth. However, the fight didn’t stop him from staying in the match.
After the scare, White shook off the impact and made a three-pointer to help the Celtics secure a 67-46 at halftime. It was later revealed that he had chipped his front tooth while avoiding further facial injuries.
Derrick White chipped his tooth after a brutal collision with Dereck Lively II in Game 5
With a 3-1 lead, the Celtics have a chance to secure their 18th title and first title since 2008 in front of their home fans at TD Garden.
The Eastern Conference Champions defeated the Miami Heat in five games and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the same amount before defeating the Indiana Pacers to secure another title shot.
On the other hand, the Mavericks defeated the LA Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in six games before spoiling the Minnesota Timberwolves’ fairytale run in five games in the conference finals.
The Celtics went an impressive 3-0 after winning the first three games, 107-89, 105-98 and 106-99.
With the sweep on a silver platter, the Mavericks came roaring back and dominated Boston 122-84 in Game 4.
With a deflating 92-60 lead late in the third, both teams rested their starters early as Boston conceded in one of the most one-sided batterings of the NBA Finals.
White has been vital to the Celtics’ success and is enjoying his most successful postseason run. So far in these playoffs, White is averaging a career-high 16.0 points, 4.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds as his team moves closer to the title.